Malaysia's IRDA, UK West Midlands Combined Authority Sign MoU In Transport, Urban Innovation

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK West Midlands Combined Authority to enhance cooperation in the area of transport innovation and smart cities development for the next three years. This agreement will pave the way for Iskandar Malaysia Region and the UK West Midlands to share knowledge, ideas and lessons learned, particularly in the urban and transport planning realms; and promote mutual recognition of international design standards for inclusive transport. British High Commissioner to Malaysia Charles Hay said partnerships like this will help drive climate action forward, adding that sustainable transport is an essential part of reaching net-zero targets, and that local authorities play a key role in the transition. "These were among the main themes of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 which the UK has just hosted," he said after witnessing the MoU signed by Anne Shaw, Interim Managing Director of Transport for West Midlands and IRDA’s Chief Executive, Ismail Ibrahim on Wednesday (Nov 17). The partnership also reflects the strong ties between the UK and Malaysia in jointly tackling modern challenges via innovative technology adoption. Meanwhile, Ismail said he is excited about the collaboration and optimistic that this strong partnership will bring about strategic mobility transformation and massive benefits to people and businesses in Iskandar Malaysia. "This partnership will also inspire many involved stakeholders to embrace more smart innovations by way of technology adoption to enhance our mobility ecosystem that meets the key thrusts of Sustainable Development Goals," he added. -- BERNAMA