After winning international acclaim for sustainable transport, the Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited's (AJL) Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) has brought the city a new distinction.
For, BRTS has made Ahmedabad the first ever Indian city to be studied by US-based Transportation Research Board (TRB) for Sustainable Public Transportation- Environmentally Friendly Mobility.
Come April and a 16-member delegation of transit managers and leaders from public transport agencies in the United States will visit India and China as part of a study mission.
The primary objective of the study is to learn how public transport systems in several cities that have implemented innovative technologies and strategies to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emission, enhance the quality of life, shift travel behavior and improve mobility, accessibility and safety.
The primary purpose of the International Transit Studies Program is to broaden the professional development of US public transport managers by providing them with opportunities to gain firsthand knowledge about transit systems in other countries.
The study mission is sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and is being led by Kevin Desmond, general manager of King County Metro Transit, Seattle, Washington.
The delegation will meet Cept University team, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) officials during their visit.
Official letter from the TRB states that Ahmedabad (Janmarg BRT) was chosen "because of the impressive public transport system that has been developed to improve the environment and encourage higher use of public transport,"
"We are keen to learn about your integrated transit system and how the Janmarg BRT system is transforming travel and making the city more livable. We are also interested in learning about policies to encourage the building of people-centered urban transport solutions, including bikeways and other means of non-motorised transport, and your plans for a metro," adds the letter.
The letter also states that it is for the first time that International Transit Studies Program has included India in their itinerary even as it would be the 34th study mission conducted by them.
Apart from India, the delegation would also visit Delhi in India. The interesting research will later be distributed in the transportation community.
