United Kingdom – A leader in the future cities concept ready to assist Iskandar Malaysia to strengthen urban and transportation planning
Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and the British High Commission are working together to strengthen the urban and transportation planning in Iskandar Malaysia under the UK’s ‘Prosperity Fund Global Future Cities Programme 2019 – 2022’ which will see an allocation of approximately RM16million for the collaboration in two proposed projects.
First, the ‘Smart Integrated Mobility Management System’ (SIMMS) project which will see the development of the implementation strategy for Iskandar Malaysia’s Smart Integrated Mobility Management System.
Secondly, the ‘Data Utilisation and Data Management for Evidence-Based Urban and Transport Planning’ project which aims to introduce planning decision support which utilises data from the integrated mobility system for better city planning outcomes and the support of Iskandar Malaysia Urban Observatory (IMUO) data integration and analytics.
In general, the proposed projects aim to promote an effective and efficient transportation movement in Iskandar Malaysia and encourage the usage of public transportation in line with the revenue operations of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in 2022. BRT promotes accessible, connected and inclusive cities that contribute to overall city prosperity, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA).
“Transportation will be a key driver in making Iskandar Malaysia the preferred destination to invest, work, live and play. It is very important that this is implemented with the best intention for the many stakeholders in the region such as the investors, visitors and the rakyat. The fund and partnership deriving from the programme will give a boost to the effort,’ said Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of IRDA.
The Global Future Cities Programme, which is a part of a wider portfolio called the UK’s Prosperity Fund, will support a range of strategic projects in 19 cities across 10 countries, and Iskandar Malaysia has been selected to be a part of the programme. The Programme builds upon three integrated pillars that will address key barriers to prosperity namely Urban Planning, Transportation, and Resilience.
“The UK is a world leader in the future cities concept ranging from infrastructure, construction, standards and financial services. We take a holistic approach to future cities development, taking into account social, environmental, economic and political factors. I am delighted that we are working with IRDA to develop Iskandar Malaysia into a strong and sustainable metropolis of international standing, our projects will also contribute towards Iskandar Malaysia’s Smart City initiatives in the ASEAN Smart Cities Network,” said HE Charles Hay, British High Commissioner to Malaysia.
Witnessed by Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, Menteri Besar of Johor, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, on behalf of IRDA and Charles Hay, the British High Commissioner to Malaysia.
