core sector communique

India & Canada Signs MoU on Infrastucture Development, Operation & Maintenance of Roads

Dr. C.P. Joshi, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Mr. Denis Label, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure & Communication, Government of Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Canada in Cubec, Canada. Dr Joshi is on an official visit to Canada from June 10-13, 2012. The MoU will facilitate sharing and exchange of knowledge and technical expertise in the areas of infrastructure development, operation and maintenance of roads and Intelligent Transport System etc. India has shifted focus towards the Private-Public-Partnership Mode for undertaking development and up-gradation of national highways network across the country as also development of express-ways which are going to be access-controlled with all modern construction technology, Information Technology, including Electronic Toll Collection System. It is expected that there would be an increase in involvement and participation from the Canadian industry in India’s ambitious National Highways and the Expressways Development Project. It is sealing a long-standing bilateral relationship and providing for cooperation between the two countries in the roads and road transportation sector. Acknowledging that India has to travel a long distance before coming up with a full Intelligent Transport System, the Minister emphasized that Canadian expertise in these areas will enable us to achieve the goal through enhanced cooperation, technology transfer and capacity building programmes under the MoU signed between India and Canada.