A greater use of smart technologies can significantly reduce physical contacts among participants of international supply chains while ensuring the seamless flow of goods and services – an element of great importance in the time of pandemics and other similar disruptions. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted or facilitated innovative solutions in the freight sector with countries leveraging "intelligent" technologies in rail and road transport. This includes digital freight platforms, contactless terminals, electronic tracking and tracing of cargo along road transport corridors. In railways, it covers automated traffic management systems; predictive/conditional maintenance; automated train driving and optimization of electronic information exchange among all the participants of railway operations.
In this context, ESCAP Transport Division organized a Capacity Building Webinar on Smart Road and Rail Solutions for transport connectivity in the COVID-19 context, which discussed "smart" transport solutions deployed faced with the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions of the world. The event reviewed the existing best practices, with the potential to enhance smart connectivity along the Asian Highway Network and the Trans-Asian Railway Network. It concluded by discussing the collaborative actions at the regional level that are necessary to support this process in Asia and the Pacific.
For mre information, please access: https://www.unescap.org/events/capacity-building-webinar-smart-road-and-rail-solutions-transport-connectivity-covid-19