Govt approves pact with Russia for partnership in highways sector

The government Wedenesday approved a pact between India and Russia for mutual cooperation in the road transport and highways sector.

The decision was taken during the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

"The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed during the upcoming visit of Russian President to India," a statement from the Road Transport and Highways Ministry said.

In order to develop and establish formal platform for cooperation in the transport and highways sector, the MoU has jointly been negotiated and finalised by both countries, it said.

"Both the countries will benefit by mutual cooperation in the field ... Increased co-operation, exchange and collaboration with Russia will contribute to establish a long-term and effective bilateral relationship of communication and cooperation in road transportation and road industry and Intelligent Transport System (ITS)," the statement said.

This will also help in planning and administration of road infrastructure and road network management, transport policy, technologies and standards for the construction and operation of highways in the country and will further go a long way in strengthening ties and bilateral relations between India and Russia, it added.

The statement said Russia has developed technological solutions for satellite based tolling solutions. Similarly, they have also adopted advanced intelligent traffic management systems, including crash reporting/monitoring systems, it said.

"Considering Russia's proven experience in adoption of technology in the road transport sector, it would be beneficial to learn from such best practices through close interaction. India is implementing at a rapid pace its highway infrastructure augmentation plans. To make full use of the road infrastructure it is necessary to embrace technology to enhance transport productivity and safety," the statement said.