KUCHING: A delegation from Sarawak, led by Minister for Transport, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin, attended the UITP Global Public Transport Summit held in Barcelona, Spain from June 4 to 7.
UITP, established in 1885, is the International Association of Public Transport and serves as a global network for all sustainable transport modes and stakeholders.
The Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MoTS) expressed their gratitude for being invited to join UITP, as it provides an opportunity for closer collaboration with international organisations and industry players.
By participating in the Asia Pacific Organising Authorities Platform (AP OAP) and attending the UITP Barcelona 2023 Summit, Sarawak aims to exchange ideas, share information on the latest innovations and technologies, network, and receive expert guidance.
The UITP Barcelona 2023 Summit, the largest gathering of public transport experts and industry players to date, showcased the latest technological innovations and discussed the future and global direction of public transport development.
With over 2,700 delegates, 280 speakers, and 350 exhibitors from 41 countries, the summit covered a wide range of experiences and topics related to public transport development, operation, and management.
The summit also featured exhibitions of hydrogen and electric buses and trains, intelligent transport systems, advanced traffic management and monitoring technology, and mobility solutions.
Lee believed that through the sharing of experiences, Sarawak could learn from global initiatives, such as intelligent transport management systems, advanced bus equipment technology, active mobility promotion, sustainable mobility, financing models, integration of the informal transport sector, and transport infrastructure design.
During the summit, Lee and the delegation had meetings with key experts and industry leaders from around the world, including Anjes Tjarks, the Minister for Transport and Mobility Transition of Germany; Khalid Alhogail, the president of UITP; Mohamed Mezghani, the secretary-general; and Dr Yildozgoz Kaan, the senior director of UITP.
The Sarawak delegation also included Deputy Minister for Transport, Datuk Dr Jerip Susil; ministry permanent secretary Datuk Alice Jawan Empaling, and Julin Alen, the ministry’s Land Transport and Logistic Division head.
