Regional Expert Group Meeting on Sustainable and Inclusive

Transport Development

M. Absar Alam

Institutional Arrangements for Urban Transport

Ahmedabad 29, September-1 October, 2014

Institutions for Urban TransportUrban transport must be:

Efficient Sustainable Equitable

To achieve these goals, institutions are required keeping in view that myriad agencies are involved in the task.

These institutions should enable coordinated operations, infrastructure funding and provide a facilitative regulatory framework.

Institutions can be broadly categorised under three pillars: Operational Financial Regulatory

Operation

The sine-quo-non of operational institutions is to promote:

Efficient and seamless mobility across various modes.

Sustainable impact of the mobility of people.

Meeting equitable transportation needs.

Facilitate inter-modal coordination.

Financing Infrastructure financing may require a

dedicated institution to mobilise funds for urban transport projects from various sources.

Large metropolitan towns may even have a separate financial institutions.

Considering the public good aspect of urban transport, the State would continue to play a dominant role.

Regulation

Source: ICT Regulation Toolkit

Need for Regulation(Regulation not being an end in

itself)

To Avoid Market Failure

To Foster Effective

Competition

To Protect Consumer Interests

To Integrate Access to

Technology and Services

Institutional Integration and Spatial Dimensions

Urban transport has to contend with ever increasing spatial growth. This dimensional spread often cuts across state/administrative boundaries.

These characteristics underscore the need for close cooperation among various agencies.

Equally necessary is the need for integrated land use and transport planning both at city and inter-state levels.

Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) at city level and Regional Planning Authority (RPA) at inter-state level would facilitate the process.

Unified Metro Transport AuthorityUMTA (City Level)

Financing

Regulation Operation and

Management

Public/Private

Different modesPricing,

competition policies

Transport Infrastructure and

Operation

Traffic Management

and Inter-modal

Coordination

Project Manageme

nt

Planning

Integrated Land Use Planning, Intelligent Transport Systems, Technological Penetration and Human Resource Development

Regional Planning Authority

Financing

RPA (Inter-Sate Level)

Planning Operation

Public/Private/States like

UMTAs

SPVs

Legal Framework Institutions must be backed by appropriate

legal framework which promotes growth of decentralised entities and clearly demarcates the functions in a federal structure.

The institutions must be manned by professionals. They should be responsive to change and have the capability to operate in a dynamic environment.

They should be able to align their activities in the context of climate change, depleting energy endowments.

Asian BRTS Association (ABA) Such association would create synergy at

operational, technical and financial levels and provide a useful platform for exchange of experience and knowledge.

Asian Railway Association could provide a template for Asian BRTS Association.

ARA promotes integration of rail systems, establishes service standards and fosters human development.

Thank you