Bhubaneswar: The city of Bhubaneswar was adjudged as the 'City with the Best Public Transport System' at the Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition 2024 held at the Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat on Sunday.

Odisha Housing & Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra received the award from Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal.

"This recognition is more than just a trophy; it represents our shared dedication to creating a sustainable future under the Viksit Odisha vision. Our commitment to improving public transport has truly changed how Odisha’s citizens travel. We've embraced innovative technologies, expanded our network, and put passenger safety and accessibility at the forefront," said Mahapatra.

The 17th UMI Conference & Exhibition 2024 was organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs through the Institute of Urban Transport (India) and with the support of the Government of Gujarat and Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. The exhibition comprising a display of best practices in urban transport in India and aboard, latest urban transport technologies, attracted more than 2200 delegates including more than 50 participants from abroad. The exhibition is an important part of the UMI Conference organized every year.

This year, the conference was focussed on the theme “Standardisation and Optimisation of Urban Transport Solutions”. It has emphasized on harmonising standards for Optimising urban mobility, particularly in the Indian context.  Further, It has deliberated upon the framework for integration of various modes in urban mobility, multilateral and bilateral funding in view of the Make in India policy, the importance of big data for transport planning, E-Bus Eco-system in India, benchmarking of cost in the Metro system, digital public infrastructure principles in relation to E-Bus transition, innovative financing and other issues and challenges in Urban transport.