This year’s Annual Roads and Highways meet will be a three day affair commencing on 9th April at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. The International Road Federation, Geneva, Switzerland, has also joined hands to support the conference. It is the 4th edition of the conference and this time Mr Akhilesh Srivastava, Chief General Manager (IT & Operations), NHAI, will be one of the distinguished speakers at the event. This meet will create a one stop shop for all stakeholders to discuss the challenges that they are facing and brainstorm business ideas through sustainable practices that are substantiated by successful results in the past.
“Future highways” is high on the agenda and it will be covered in-depth by various renowned individuals from the industry. These industry experts will provide valuable insights on best industry practices and strategies essential for restructuring the urban landscape. This highly-interactive and knowledge packed event will feature case studies and key presentations on all aspects pertaining to the road infrastructure industry. Everything from design & development, road safety, smart mobility, maintenance to new technologies will be discussed.
The event plan and schedule is already laid out by the organisers (Marcusevans). On the first day, Akhilesh Srivastava will be a part of a prestigious panel where the discussion will revolve around the impact of One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR) on Asia. This panel will also include Mr Frederic Blanc-Brade, Member Advisory Council, World Bank Global Infrastructure Facility, Singapore. OBOR is a strategy put forward by Chinese Government for increasing connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries. This move has highlighted China’s push towards a larger role in the global scenario. It is one of the largest infrastructure projects in history, covering more than 68 countries. This figure includes 65 % of the world’s population and 40 % of the overall global GDP.
The Chief General Manager (CGM) will also hold a discussion on “Highways modernisation for Greater Effectiveness and Sustainability.” Integrating IT in the highways sector, and Electronic toll collection (ETC) to minimise congestion and ensuring faster mobility will be the primary topics of this talk. ETC is a Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) based toll system that enables automatic deduction of toll taxes without having to halt at manual toll booths on the highways. This system is operational on majority of toll booths in India now. The CGM has been a key figure in the successful implementation of this project and he will analyse the benefits of incorporating this system.
The event will also include a visit to the Intelligent Transport System Centre (ITSC), Land Transport Authority where senior representatives will give an insight on latest technologies that help ITSC ensure smooth flow of traffic on expressways and road network in Singapore. Moreover, it also provides a platform for various Asian Countries to network their thoughts and ideas together.