Skip to main content

Transport Ministers from 53 countries meet for global summit

Transport Ministers from the 53 member countries of the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD gather in Leipzig, Germany, today for a three-day summit on the future of global mobility. The 2012 summit is headlined ‘Seamless Transport: Making Connections’ and will ask how better connectivity can improve lives and stimulate the economy. Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), will be the keynote speaker on 3 May.
May 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSTransport Ministers from the 53 member countries of the 998 International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD gather in Leipzig, Germany, today for a three-day summit on the future of global mobility.

The 2012 summit is headlined ‘Seamless Transport: Making Connections’ and will ask how better connectivity can improve lives and stimulate the economy. Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the 5342 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), will be the keynote speaker on 3 May.

Gurría will also be presenting the Forum’s 2012 Transport Outlook. Issues for discussion include:

  • Rethinking the Last Mile: What new approaches exist for freight delivery in cities?
  • The Future of Travel: How does e-Ticketing, smart-phone use and data sharing change mobility?
  • Facilitating global trade: Connectivity across borders
  • Transport for Growth: Can better connectivity stimulate economic activity?
  • Smart Grids: How to power the e-mobility future?
  • Collaboration in connectivity: Achieving seamless transport between cities and regions

The event includes a Ministerial meeting, panel discussions with leaders from business, research and civil society as well as bilateral and informal meetings. For the first time, the Ministers’ meeting will be partly open to the media.

“Connectivity is a 21st century megatrend”, said Michael Kloth, acting secretary-general of the ITF. “The digital revolution has made it easier to link up, but people and markets also long to be better connected in physical ways.”

“Enabling transport to become more seamless – between modes and systems, across borders, regulatory frameworks and ownership structures – will stimulate creativity, set free resources, help economic growth and provide better solutions for transport users,” said Kloth.

Related Content

  • 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars formed
    June 7, 2012
    Verizon has announced the formation of the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars, a group of leading global automotive companies brought together by Verizon to accelerate the pace of innovation across the automotive and telematics 4G LTE ecosystem. BMW, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors and Toyota Motor Sales are joining Verizon as the initial members of the Forum. Professor Sanjay Sarma of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology also joins the Forum, providing members a link to track important advan
  • LA can learn from Oakland UBM
    July 15, 2022
    Los Angeles is just embarking on its universal basic mobility journey – but fortunately the city can draw on the findings of a similar programme in Oakland…
  • Twenty year vision for Birmingham city transport
    November 14, 2014
    A white paper setting out Birmingham’s 20-year vision for improving transport across the city is set to be unveiled today. Birmingham Connected aims to make the city safer and easier to travel around by reducing congestion and promoting more sustainable forms of transport. Initiatives in the plan include the completion of a US$1.9 billion public transport network within 20 years and the development of Green Travel Districts to enable people to walk, cycle or take public transport safely. A feasibilit
  • Rapid growth makes Texas an incubator for tolling innovation
    September 8, 2014
    As the IBTTA’s annual meeting and exhibition heads for Austin, Mitchell Beer, president of Smarter Shift, considers the role of Texas in the development of tolling strategies and technology. The State of Texas has always prided itself on being ‘larger than life’. From the sprawling geography of the state itself with its wide open skies, to its entrepreneurial ‘get-it-done’ attitude, Texas exudes an impatient restlessness that pushes businesses and public agencies to deliver faster, better results. More ofte