The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$199.5m loan to support the development of an innovative intelligent transport system (ITS) to reduce pollution, cut traffic congestion, and improve transport safety in the Chinese city of Guiyang.
Located in southwest China, Guiyang is a fast-growing new city and the capital of Guizhou Province. The project will be a pilot for other cities demonstrating integrated smart transport development. The New Urbanization Smart Transport Development Project will help establish Guiyang as a low-carbon city, making it more livable as well as more attractive for private sector investors and professionals, boosting the local economy. The total cost of the project is US$495.8m, with the Chinese Government providing US$296.3m. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The ITS to be developed under the project will comprise:
- Real-time traffic and road-weather monitoring;
- A multimodal transportation systems management and operations center;
- An integrated traffic operations and safety and emergency management system.
The project will also finance some limited sustainable transport infrastructure, including clean energy buses, bus stations, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Meanwhile, a demonstration zone for research and development on vehicle communication technologies will create shareable knowledge in this key sector.
The project will employ a human-centered design methodology, a highly participatory approach focused on users and their needs, to ensure the transport system is relevant for users. The project will finance training and support activities for the local government to make the infrastructure and services inclusive, gender-responsive, safe, and sustainable.
Established in 1966, the ADB is owned by 68 members; 49 from the region. The Bank is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. In 2018, it made commitments of new loans and grants amounting to US$21.6bn.
“This project will serve as an example of how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and other countries can address the downsides of rapid urbanization, such as high CO2 emissions, which have impacts well beyond national boundaries, and traffic jams and road safety, which stop cities from flourishing,” said Susan Lim, ADB’s senior transport specialist for East Asia. “User needs will be at the heart of the new transport system, ensuring it will cater to all types of travelers including business people, parents and children, the aged, or the differently abled.”
