Transport experts, policymakers, and researchers convened at the Third International Transportation Conference in Kathmandu, organized by the Society of Transport Engineers Nepal (SOTEN) along with the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) and the Ministry of Urban Development. The conference, held from April 11 to 14, 2025 had a theme "Towards Safe, Sustainable, Efficient, and Resilient Mobility," concluded with comprehensive resolutions aimed at transforming Nepal's transport sector.

Central to these resolutions is an emphasis on sustainability, inclusivity, efficiency, and integrated planning across technical and institutional frameworks. The delegates called for strategic reforms to build transport systems that are not only resilient to climate change but also responsive to urban and rural mobility demands. Special attention was given to the importance of data-driven, evidence-based transport infrastructure planning, particularly for Nepal's challenging hilly regions, integrating local knowledge and climate risk assessments.

The conference underscored the urgent necessity of aligning global technologies with Nepal's local context to ensure transport solutions are effective and inclusive. Additionally, the resolutions advocated for coordinated transport and land-use planning, substantial investment in public transit, promotion of non-motorized transport, and enhanced connectivity between rural and urban areas.

Further, a strong case was made for integrating climate risks into road infrastructure planning and adopting modern asset management practices to enhance service quality and safety standards. The delegates also recommended digitizing road crash data collection and leveraging advanced technologies for cost-effective road assessments, creating safer road environments.

ATO, represented by Alvin Mejia, delivered a detailed presentation titled "Benchmarking – Urban Transport and Beyond: Nepal and Asia," outlining the ATO’s role in collecting, organizing, and analyzing comprehensive transport data and policy indicators across Asia-Pacific. The presentation featured insights into urbanization trends, public transport accessibility, and exposure to climate hazards. It also compared Nepal’s transport sector emissions and air pollution contributions to regional benchmarks, underscoring the importance of evidence-based policy decisions.

The conference featured 23 international presentations/remarks, and 52 national speakers and panelists, and was well attended with around 350 participants. One of the key highlights of the event is the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ATO and SOTEN. This MoU signifies the continued shared commitment of the ATO and SOTEN to strengthen knowledge exchange, collaborate on capacity-building initiatives, as well as collaborative research activities aimed at enriching the discourse on sustainable transport in Nepal, and beyond. This collaborative effort between ATO and SOTEN symbolizes the conference’s broader goal: to drive substantial reforms in Nepal's transport sector, guiding the government towards building safer, more sustainable, and inclusive mobility solutions for the future.

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