UST: News

Signing of a project document between the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and "Unitsky SPC"

On October 23, 2001 a project document FS-RUS-02-S03 "Provision of Sustainable Development of Human Settlements and Urban Environment Protection through the Use of the String Transportation System" was signed within the framework of the Programme of Cooperation between Gosstroy of Russia and the UN Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).

The given project is the 2^nd phase of the project: "Sustainable Development of Human Settlements and Improvement of their Communication Infrastructure through the Use of a String Transportation System" (FS-RUS-98-S01) implemented in 1998-2000. The goal of the newly initiated project is to identify a sphere of applicability of the string transportation system (UST) to be used for carrying passengers and freights in urban, suburban and international communications. Based on the implementation of comprehensive socio-economic and ecological research it is proposed to specify the most optimal sphere of applicability of the UST and to make a comparative analysis of its key technical and economic data against other existing modes of transportation. For the implementation of the proposed task it is envisaged to use the major outcomes obtained in the course of testing the UST models at scale 1:5 carried out in 2000-2001 and the results of thenfield surveys of the UST at scale 1:1 obtained at the testing ground in the town of Ozyory in 2001.

Initiation of the project activities is scheduled for January 2002. Duration of the project is 1 year. It is planned to involve the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in the project activities. The relevant negotiations with the UNEP representatives are currently underway.

The interest of the world community in the name of the institutions of the UN system is an important factor contributing to the promotion of Unitsky String Transport and enabling its practical use for freight and passenger transportation.