Statement delivered by
H.E. Dato Abdul Mutalib Yusof
Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, Brunei Darussalam
During
Ministers’
Forum: “Sustainable transport, poverty eradication and economic
recovery” – exchange of views and sharing of national experiences
Day 2, 15 October 2021, Friday
Time: 8.00pm – 9.30pm
Thank you Your Excellencies Co-Chairs,
Minister Li Xiaopeng and Mr. Liu Zhenmin,
Your Excellencies,
It
is indeed a privilege to be part of today’s Ministers’ Forum at this
Second (2nd) United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference. I
would like to thank the Government of the People’s Republic of China and
especially Minister Li Xiaopeng for inviting me to participate at this
Ministerial conference.
2.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been farreaching and Brunei
Darussalam is no exception. The pandemic has affected transport systems,
logistics, supply chains and economies in general in unprecedented
ways. I believe our conference today comes at the right time for us here
to share experiences, exchanging thoughts and ideas on how to address
issues and challenges during this global pandemic and beyond.
3.
For Brunei Darussalam, a key component to our sustainable transport
aspirations is the progressive enhancement of road safety. In December
2020, the Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Strategic Plan 2025 was launched
with a vision to achieve zero road accident fatalities by 2025. The
plan contains a comprehensive list of strategies and initiatives,
including to apply relevant enabling technologies in addressing road
safety issues. This strengthens our commitment in line with the Brunei
Declaration on Road Safety 2020, just recently adopted by the ASEAN
Transport Ministers in late 2020 last year.
Your Excellencies,
4.
Another key priority for Brunei Darussalam is to restrategise our
current national public transport system. There is a high proportion of
private motorised vehicles on our roads, due to its convenience. There
is however, a certain small group of the population particularly in some
remote areas that may have limited access to connectivity both in
communication as well as transportation.
5.
Hence one of our objectives is to strive to make public transport
inclusive, accessible and affordable for our people through, amongst
other initiatives, the application of an Intelligent Transport System
(ITS).
6.
Further to this, innovation, research and development plays a key role
in supporting our smart city and smart nation aspirations. Through the
Council for Research and Advancement in Technology and Science
(CREATES), we aim to explore the use of technologies such as Computer
Vision and AI that lends itself towards the management of a smart city.
7.
This would include, amongst others, transport management, allowing us
to understand further insights into emerging trends and patterns that
serve as a major input towards the formulation of our national transport
policies. Amongst some of the national policies being currently
addressed include initiatives to reduce our
carbon footprint and promoting the use of multimodal transportation.
Your Excellencies,
8.
In time with Brunei Darussalam’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2021 this
year, I wish to reiterate Brunei Darussalam’s theme for her
Chairmanship: “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”. It is through caring
for the people and preparing for future opportunities and challenges
that we can prosper. We believe this is key not just for sustainable
transport, but also for achieving sustainable development, to ensure
that “no one is left behind”.
Thank you.
