A two day workshop on sustainable transport solutions was held in Cochin, India to resolve transport issues of the city and to identify prospective solutions. The workshop, organised as a part of the SOLUTIONS project, was attended by representatives of various organisations from the city, who discussed various solutions that could be implemented as short, medium and long term measures and reiterated the advantages of current density patterns as an add on for providing better public transport. Cochin has been selected as one of the take up cities under the Sharing Opportunities for Low carbon Urban transportation (SOLUTIONS) project funded by European union and implemented by Wuppertal Institute with its partners. 

The first day witnessed Mr. K. J. Sohan, Chairperson, Town Planning Committee of Cochin Corporation stressing on integrating all transport modes with immediate steps to be taken to improve water transport system and last time mile connectivity. Experts from Wuppertal Institute, Austria Tech, BAST, FEHRL, Embarq and Clean air Asia were also present and supported participants to identify different measures to improve city transport system. 

The second day of the workshop consisted primarily of a training session which was inaugurated by the Deputy Mayor of Cochin Corporation Ms. Bhadra, followed by opening remarks by Mr. Sohan. Some key points of discussion were as follows:

• Dr. Thierry Goger, Secretary General, FEHRL briefly discussed on upcoming technologies on building transport infrastructure which can save time and resources at the local level.
• Dr. Kressler Florian from Austria Tech stressed on the need for intelligent transport systems for better management of public transport services.
• Mr. Benjamin Shreck from Federal Highway Research Institute, Germany, broadly covered the importance of cycle infrastructure to encourage cycling and also to retain existing riders.
• Mr. Oliver Lah of Wuppertal Institute discussed the importance of adopting clean vehicle technology in sidelines with better public transport to combat air pollution.
• Public bike sharing system and better movement of goods was also shed light on by Embarq and Clean Air Asia.

All present participants were keen on understanding the possibilities of implementing various successful measures that have already been implemented in Europe. In her closing remarks, Deputy Mayor Bhadra stressed on the emerging need to integrate all modes of transport present in the city and also discussed on the probability of a bike sharing scheme in the Fort Cochin area which could be further scaled up. The workshop concluded with remarks from the project team to include all discussions made, in the feasibility report prepared as part of the project. 

The SOLUTIONS project aims to support the exchange on innovative and green urban mobility solutions between cities from Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean region by facilitating dialogue and exchange, promoting successful policy, providing guidance and tailored advice to city officials, and fostering future cooperation on research, development and innovation. The project brings together a wealth of experience and technical knowledge from international organisations, consultants, cities, and experts involved in transport issues and solutions.

Click here for further information on the SOLUTIONS project.