Logistics conference : ‘Asian urban population will generate 80% of new growth’ | Page 2 | Sunday Observer

Logistics conference : ‘Asian urban population will generate 80% of new growth’

15 September, 2019

Transport is an integral part of most activities and it has the ability to improve key economic indicators. The Asian urban population is growing and over 80 percent of the new growth will be generated by the urban population. Therefore, the importance of an effective mobility plan is ever increasing, Governor Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. Indraj it Coomaraswamy said.

Technology, especially cloud technology supports virtual trade forwarding which are fully or partially automated. We are going through a very significant period of transformation. Embracing technological changes is necessary, he said at the 13th International Conference of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS), held in Sri Lanka for the first time at the Waters Edge Hotel, Battaramulla last week.

The government should facilitate cross broader transition. Rapid urbanisation has become increasingly important. The drivers of transport and traffic should be geared to overcome issues to increase mobility with the support of target projects to assist physical structure. The transport infrastructure should be modernized to support aging population and women. It is necessary to unlock the potential for greater collaboration. The government, inter- governmental organization and the private sector are essential to address transport issues, he said.

Sri Lanka was a hub in the Indian ocean. We lost that kind of DNA. We are now re-discovering our routes. The Colombo port is efficient and expansion is taking place with Hambantota port development is in the agenda. With airport development together with ongoing road development the country is looking forward to efficient mobility plan soon, he said.

“We seek integrated solutions for transport issues. With sustainable planning on balanced inclusive green growth path the country could benefit in the long run,” Founder Chairman Munasignhe Institute of Development and MIND Group, Prof. Mohan Munasinghe said.

It is necessary to reduce green gas emissions. The ecological footprint of the humans has an impact on the environment. Sustainable transport is to see how transport could integrate as it causes much environment pollution. The wrong social value-driven unsustainable development should be stopped. We need to implement smart sustainable systems to balance inclusive green growth, he said.

The transport policy should be linked to other sectors such as agriculture, education, food, energy, health, marine resources, urban and physical planning for better workable policy. It is important to improve access and make mobility affordable. For this evidence based integrated solutions are the key, he said.

EASTS 2019 was organised by the Sri Lanka Society of Transport and Logistics (SLSTL), the domestic member of EASTS. The conference was organised on the theme ‘Redesigning Transport & Logistics for the Rise of Asia’ and is the largest conference of academics and researchers in transport, held regularly in Asia and the SLSTL won the bid to host the conference in Sri Lanka for 2019.

Over 500 participants, with around 400 of them from abroad, representing 29 countries arrived in Sri Lanka, making it the largest gathering of transport professionals in Sri Lanka. Around 400 papers were presented at the conference and 10 parallel presentation tracks held over three days. The conference was followed by technical visits to several sites of interest, including several logistics centres and state-of-the-art warehouses.

The fourth annual conference on Research for Transport and Logistics for Industry (R4TLI) organised by SLSTL ran parallel at the same venue on September 10. 

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