Singapore to share traffic management expertise with Colombia

A panel of transportation experts will study local Bogotá traffic conditions to produce a sustainable Traffic Demand Management action plan for the city.  

In a joint news release, the International Enterprise of Singapore and the Ministry of Transport of Colombia announced that Singapore is set to share its traffic management expertise with Bogotá, Colombia, as the city government makes traffic management a key priority.

International Enterprise Singapore, the agency driving Singapores external economy, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Colombia, to conduct a study on improving the integration and efficiency of Bogotá's transport system as it undergoes rapid urbanisation. This will pave the way for further economic cooperation between both countries.

The MOU was signed in Bogotá by Mr Germán Cardona Gutiérrez, Colombia's Minister of Transportation, and Mr Teo Eng Cheong, Chief Executive Officer of IE Singapore. This announcement comes on the back of an MOU signed in early May between IE Singapore and the National Business Association of Colombia, during a state visit by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon to Singapore.  

Said Mr Cardona, “Bogotá has pioneered many transportation initiatives which set global benchmarks, and will continue to keep to these standards in our urban development. Singapore has successfully built up an efficient transport infrastructure in spite of its limited land resources, and we hope to tap into this expertise for Bogotá‟s development. The outcome of this pilot study will be beneficial for other Colombian cities too.”

With this MOU, IE Singapore will bring together a panel of Singapore transportation experts to study local traffic conditions and produce a Traffic Demand Management action plan for the city. The action plan will help develop Bogotá's land transport system in a sustainable manner, and contribute to the nation's regulatory framework in transport management. At the end of the study, the panel will outline and recommend policies, infrastructure development, and TDM strategies to help Bogotá meet the demands of its fast-growing public and private transport sectors.

Said Mr Teo, “Bogotá has long been used as a case study for its sustainable transport initiatives. Our partnership allows Singapore to learn from them, and share our developmental experience at the same time. This will deepen our bilateral trade and economic engagement with Colombia. It illustrates how such collaborations between IE Singapore, the Colombian government and international organisations are valuable to sustaining the country's economic development.”

Role of international organisations in Bogotá’s development

To date, international organisations such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank have provided financial and technical support for the development of Bogotá's transportation system. Both organisations will be part of a steering committee to support the progress and delivery of this study. The IDB played a key role in structuring this collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and IE Singapore, as part of a partnership agreement signed between IDB and IE Singapore for cooperation activities in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2009.  

Mr Bernardo Guillamon, Manager of the Office of Outreach and Partnerships at the IDB said, “The unique development of Singapore as a global city can serve as an important example for Bogota and other rapid growing cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is just the beginning; we see extensive opportunities for collaboration between Singapore and the Latin American and Caribbean region in areas such as urban planning, logistics and education. We are very glad that this south-south cooperation is officially launched.”

Added Ms Camila Rodriguez, Infrastructure Specialist at the World Bank, "With its tradition for innovation and sustainability, Colombia is well-placed to lead the continent in the consideration of mobility demand management schemes. Such initiatives are critical building blocks towards more liveable, green and inclusive cities amid an era of unprecedented urbanisation and motorisation in Colombia. The World Bank looks forward to working with the Ministry of Transport, the District of Bogotá and IE Singapore in this process, and to potentially support the implementation of measures coming out of this study in the future."

Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is recognised globally for the transformation of the city's transport network, which began in the mid-1990s. Governments from at least 200 cities have visited Bogotá since 2005 to learn about its sustainable transportation initiatives2. One of its most notable achievements is the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit Systems, the only large transportation project approved by the United Nations to generate and sell carbon credits3.