Boosting the prospects of road development in the state and especially in the cities, the World Bank has expressed willingness to provide more assistance to road projects.
In a meeting attended by the Public Works Department (PWD) minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju and World Bank South Asia director John H. Stein in Washington, the World Bank offered more financial assistance to the state.
While expressing satisfaction over the successful completion of the first phase of the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), the bank authorities gave specific instructions for the implementation of various road development works progressing in the state.
The minister informed the bank authorities that a high level meeting would be convened next week to discuss the measures for improving the functioning of the Road Safety Authority. A road safety audit would be conducted in the state soon, he added.
The second phase of the KSTP is being implemented avoiding the hiccups faced in the first phase, said the minister.
PWD principal secretary P.H. Kurien, economic councillor of the Indian Embassy, Sukrithi Likhi; World Bank senior transport economist Simon Ellis and Kerala Road Fund Board CEO Harikesh P.C. also attended the meeting.