The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : US FTA praises metro rail project

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Sunday, Sep 28, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

US FTA praises metro rail project

Special Correspondent

‘We are trying to build similar system in Manhattan’

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL), on Saturday, received support from the most unexpected quarters -- James S. Simpson, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), US Department of Transportation -- when he described as outstanding its concession agreement under the public-private partnership (PPP).

Replying to a query at a press conference here, Mr. Simpson said that it was one of the largest PPP projects in the world. It was really the way America was built over the last 100 years. The government granted land and other facilities for taking up infrastructure development by the private parties. “In Manhattan, we are trying to build a metro rail system on these lines,” he said.

Mr. Simpson also said that it was “outstanding to have private sector’s dollars to spend for public service without casting any burden on people – tax payers’ money.”

Traffic was a major concern across the globe and the US was losing US $ 100 billion every year because of traffic jams. The State government would soon enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FTA on public transport, which would entail strengthening and sharing of knowledge, science and technology.

Managing Director of the HMRL N.V.S. Reddy said that the State government would share the entire documentation of the concession agreement, including the manual of specifications and standards, with the FTA. The numerous researches on the mass transit projects would help the State implement projects like Bus Rapid Transit System and metro rail, Mr. Reddy pointed out.

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