AC approves creation of Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities to revamp urban transport

JAMMU: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu, gave the go ahead to the establishment of Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities (UMTAs) for the cities of Jammu and Srinagar as envisaged in the Master Plans of the two capital cities.
The sanctioned bodies will be headed by the Chief Secretary with Administrative Secretaries and officers of the key departments/ authorities impinging on transport and mobility, nominees of agencies of Government of India and independent experts as members. These new bodies will function as a part of respective Metropolitan Region Development Authorities created under the J&K Metropolitan Region Development Authorities Act, 2018.
The decision is aimed at developing an advanced, well planned and better coordinated transport system in the capital cities by overcoming the dissonance arising from multiplicity of existing agencies with their separate and at times conflicting policies under the guidance of National Urban Transport Policy, 2006.
Once functional, UMTA will secure the development of an integrated, efficient, modern, multi-modal mobility system including non-motorized transport with focus on movement of people and goods instead of vehicles.
UMTA is also envisioned to aid policy formulation and regulation for undertaking integrated and holistic planning for transport services with associated infrastructure by focusing on coordination across different organisations, agencies and management of common facilities.