Mah govt signs MOU with US Fed Transit Administration

Mumbai, Sept 30 (UNI) Maharashtra government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the US Department of Transportation.

Under the MOU, which was signed yesterday, both parties will co-operate on public transportation science and technology.

Specific projects will be identified under intermodal transportation such as transportation safety, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), transportation for persons with disabilities, capacity building, training, traffic and information centres.

Commenting on the MOU, American Public Transportation Association (APTA) vice president (Policy) Arthur Guzzetti said, ''We are happy to know that the Indian government has allocated USD 35 billion for public transportation, out of USD 50 billion, earmarked for developing transportation infrastructure. It would be crucial for the success of the country's economy.'' Mr Guzzetti said like India, Private-Public Partnerships (PPPs) were being initiated in the US and new ways need to be explored to maintain transportation infrastructure.

A high level business delegation from the US had accompanied the FTA team during their three-day visit to Mumbai, on a networking mission in the transportation sector.

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