Visakhapatnam partners with Moscow to build Technology-Driven Urban Transport System

Visakhapatnam, India (Urban Transport News): The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has partnered with the Government of Moscow to develop a modern, integrated and technology-driven urban transportation system for Visakhapatnam, marking a significant step towards strengthening sustainable mobility in Andhra Pradesh’s largest urban centre.

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg and Moscow Deputy Mayor and Head of the Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development Maksim Liksutov during the 5th International Transport Summit in Moscow.

The partnership will facilitate cooperation in areas including intelligent transport systems, integrated ticketing, artificial intelligence-enabled traffic management and sustainable mobility solutions.

Moscow Expertise to Support Visakhapatnam’s Mobility Transformation

According to the Andhra Pradesh government, the partnership emerged from IT Minister Nara Lokesh’s official visit to Russia in June, during which he held discussions with Moscow’s transport leadership on urban mobility and technology.

Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister P Narayana said Visakhapatnam is emerging as a major growth centre for Andhra Pradesh, with expanding activities in industry, technology, tourism and innovation.

He emphasised that a modern and integrated transportation network would be essential to support the city's future growth.

The collaboration will allow Andhra Pradesh and GVMC to study proven international urban mobility practices and assess their suitability for Visakhapatnam's evolving transport infrastructure.

Focus on Intelligent Transport and Integrated Mobility

The MoC establishes an institutional framework for technical engagement, knowledge exchange and project-level collaboration between Visakhapatnam and Moscow.

The cooperation will cover several emerging areas of urban mobility, including intelligent transportation systems, multimodal integration, digital transport management, sustainable mobility and integrated fare systems.

Moscow's experience is particularly relevant because the Russian capital operates an extensive multimodal transport network integrating metro rail, buses, trams, electric buses, the Moscow Central Circle (MCC) and Moscow Central Diameters (MCD) under a unified mobility ecosystem.

The city also operates the Troika smart card, which provides integrated fare-payment facilities across multiple modes of public transport.

AI and Data-Driven Traffic Management

The partnership is expected to provide Visakhapatnam with access to Moscow's experience in deploying artificial intelligence, computer vision, data analytics and centralised traffic management systems.

These technologies can help cities improve traffic flow, enhance road safety, optimise public transport operations and provide passengers with more reliable services.

For Visakhapatnam, the adoption of such systems could support more efficient management of growing traffic volumes while improving coordination between different modes of transportation.

Cooperation to Extend Beyond Public Transport

The partnership will not be limited to conventional public transport systems. The cooperation framework also covers sustainable and low-emission mobility solutions, automotive and electronics manufacturing, energy storage systems and vertical transportation solutions.

It will also encourage technology transfer, training and exchange programmes involving government officials, professionals and technical specialists.

The initiative is expected to help GVMC strengthen its capabilities in transport data utilisation, multimodal transport integration and sustainable urban mobility planning.

Visakhapatnam Targets Global City Mobility Standards

MA&UD Principal Secretary S Suresh Kumar said the agreement would facilitate sustained knowledge exchange and provide GVMC with access to advanced expertise in urban mobility and digital transformation.

Under the cooperation framework, the Andhra Pradesh government will work with GVMC and the Government of Moscow to identify priority areas and develop specific projects.

The broader objective is to transform Visakhapatnam into a clean, connected, accessible and technology-enabled global city.

The partnership comes as Visakhapatnam prepares for significant urban and economic expansion. By combining international expertise with local infrastructure planning, the initiative could help the city develop an integrated mobility ecosystem built around technology, sustainability, seamless ticketing and multimodal connectivity.