In a boost for non-motorised transport modes like cycling and walking, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)’s Sustainable Transportation Lab (IST Lab) and Urban Morph, an NGO signed a Memorandum of Understanding on September 3 to establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) for Active Mobility in Bengaluru.
The Centre will engage in research, planning, collaboration, and monitoring and evaluation of human-powered transportation modes such as walking and cycling. The goal is to enhance transportation efficiency for both complete trips and first/last-mile connectivity, ultimately making cities more liveable.
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"It will also include modes and methodologies that ensure equity in mobility across gender, age, economic strata, and disabilities," said a joint statement from IISc and Urban Morph.
The statement said, "The CoE will aim to bring together the ecosystem in an open collaboration model. It will articulate the vision of a liveable city with a high quality of life driven by Green Urban Mobility and powered by Active Urban Greenways. The CoE will perform convening, programme management, and communication functions where necessary and enhance the work of others."
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The CoE will bring on board members from government, institutions, civil society, and industry. “It will conduct activities like capacity building and consulting to achieve its set objectives. The Centre will serve as a one-stop shop for stakeholders in cities across the country, offering high-quality research, planning, and activities to help the nation achieve health, transportation, and climate goals through Active Mobility”, it said.
Ashish Verma, convenor, IISc IST Lab, said: "The sustainable and liveable future for our cities lies in part in the past when many people cycled and walked in the 1970s and 1980s. We need to bring these practices back to build a sustainable future, and this unique CoE will play a crucial role."
Subbaiah TS, director, Urban Morph, added, "Many organizations across the country have been focusing on active mobility. To facilitate mutual learning and share best practices, there was a need to consolidate these efforts on a single platform. The Centre will also contribute to capacity building in both industry and government sectors through its various programs in the field of active mobility."
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