Siemens to help improve Dhaka's transportation
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Raihan M Chowdhury
back from California (USA)
Siemens AG, one of the leading engineering conglomerates of the world, will provide support to improve Dhaka's nagging transportation infrastructure.
"We will obviously welcome your country's effort to improve the transportation, if we get any proposal from the Bangladesh government," Thomas Stetter, Chief Executive Officer of Business Unit Traffic Solutions of Siemens AG told the FE recently during a press tour of the company in California of USA.
According to an estimated, Dhaka city dwellers lose around Tk 264 billion or Euro 2.8 billion a year due to lack of modern transportation facilities, which can be diverted to poverty alleviation programmes or other projects in Bangladesh.
Poor transportation infrastructure is posing a serious threat to the economic mobility of Bangladesh for a long period.
Siemens has significantly contributed in the economic development of Bangladesh through its strong presence during the last 50 years.
Journalists from some 12 countries around the world took part in a three-day 'Siemens Mobility Press Tour' held in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Coronado, Saint Helena and Napa Valley of California.
The press tour highlighted the preservation of environment and key findings from an independent study titled 'megacities challenges, where transportation emerged as the top infrastructure challenge worldwide.
"Our aim is to raise awareness of what needs to be done to preserve the environment, connect people more efficiently and ultimately ensure the quality of life for generations," a Siemens statement said.
One of the presentations of a session said products made by the Mobility Division of Siemens' Industry Sector can help save millions of tons of environmentally harmful greenhouse gases every year.
"The US economy not only loses $ 78 billion every year due to daily traffic congestion on the roads, as calculated by the Texas transportation institute, but these traffic jams also burden the environment unnecessarily in the form of 25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide," according to a session paper.
It said intelligent traffic management solutions combined with modern rapid transit systems from the portfolio of the mobility division of the industry sector can help to prevent both.
"We know something must be done to stop damage to our planet and our future. And Siemens has the answers," said Hans-Jorg Grundmann, CEO of the Mobility Division, in Sacramento.
He presented the new Mobility Division, the unit in the Siemens Industry sector that combines rail systems with road traffic management systems, as the solution provider for all mobility requirements.
'No other industry provider can come even close to us in our range of answers to mobility challenges, the CEO asserted. He said that especially the state of California, whose governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has made environment protection a top priority was a perfect partner for Siemens to implement forward-looking traffic solutions.
Grundmann said Siemens is determined to strengthen its already solid position in the US market even further with innovative solutions. "For example, every third light rail system in North America is from Siemens- and we are the number one provider in the country.
One in six US cities uses Siemens advanced transportation management systems, over 50 per cent of the country's busiest airports are equipped with Siemens lighting and control technology. And 90 per cent of all US mail is processed by Siemens postal systems.
However, Grundmann also states that isolated innovations in individual areas are not enough to meet the challenges of the future.
"Yes, we obviously still deliver locomotives or rail interlocking systems, subway trains or intelligent traffic systems. And we will continue to do so,'' he added.
Grundmann sees 'a global market of over 87 billion Euros by 2010-only two years from now. And the most dynamic growth is expected in regions with the highest rate of population growth and urbanisation-such as Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
Siemens is the only company in the world with the comprehensive expertise and the broad portfolio to plan, develop and implement intermodal transportation solutions.
Meanwhile, the Mobility Division of Siemens' Industry Sector has strengthened its leading position in the US market as supplier of light rail vehicles (LRVs) by winning another big order.
Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver, Colorado, has already placed an order valued at about US $ 184 million (EUR 125 million) for another 55 Siemens light rail vehicles (SD 160).
This is the largest light rail vehicle contract that Siemens ever signed in the US since the early nineties, a statement of Siemens issued from Sacramento of California said.
Siemens has delivered 95 LRVs to Denver. The last order for 34 cars is still in process, but seven of them are already in operation.
As the market leader for light rail vehicles in North America, high-floor vehicles made by Siemens are already providing reliable service in the U.S. cities of Denver, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and St. Louis, as well as in the Canadian cities of Calgary and Edmonton.
Siemens-built low-floor light rail vehicles, on the other hand, ply in Charlotte, Houston, Norfolk, Portland and San Diego.
This new Denver order is meanwhile the second large-scale order received from North America this fiscal year.
At the beginning of December, Siemens was given an order by the Canadian transit operator Go Transit, to upgrade the signaling and communications equipment for Toronto's Union Station. Worth the equivalent of EUR 140 million, this is the biggest rail automation order Siemens has ever won in North America.
The Siemens Industry Sector is the world's leading supplier of production, transportation and building systems. Integrated hardware and software technologies combined with industry-specific solutions enable Siemens to enhance the productivity and efficiency of its customers in industry and infrastructure.
The Sector comprises six Divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Motion Control and Osram. In fiscal 2007 (ended September 30), Siemens Industry generated sales of around euro 40 billion (unconsolidated) with approximately 209,000 employees worldwide.
With its "Complete Mobility" approach, the Division is focused on networking the various modes of transportation in order to ensure the efficient transport of people and goods. "Complete Mobility" combines the company's competence in operations control systems for railways and traffic control systems for roadways together with solutions for airport logistics, postal automation, traction power supplies and rolling stock for mass transit, regional and mainline services, as well as forward-looking service concepts.
back from California (USA)
Siemens AG, one of the leading engineering conglomerates of the world, will provide support to improve Dhaka's nagging transportation infrastructure.
"We will obviously welcome your country's effort to improve the transportation, if we get any proposal from the Bangladesh government," Thomas Stetter, Chief Executive Officer of Business Unit Traffic Solutions of Siemens AG told the FE recently during a press tour of the company in California of USA.
According to an estimated, Dhaka city dwellers lose around Tk 264 billion or Euro 2.8 billion a year due to lack of modern transportation facilities, which can be diverted to poverty alleviation programmes or other projects in Bangladesh.
Poor transportation infrastructure is posing a serious threat to the economic mobility of Bangladesh for a long period.
Siemens has significantly contributed in the economic development of Bangladesh through its strong presence during the last 50 years.
Journalists from some 12 countries around the world took part in a three-day 'Siemens Mobility Press Tour' held in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Coronado, Saint Helena and Napa Valley of California.
The press tour highlighted the preservation of environment and key findings from an independent study titled 'megacities challenges, where transportation emerged as the top infrastructure challenge worldwide.
"Our aim is to raise awareness of what needs to be done to preserve the environment, connect people more efficiently and ultimately ensure the quality of life for generations," a Siemens statement said.
One of the presentations of a session said products made by the Mobility Division of Siemens' Industry Sector can help save millions of tons of environmentally harmful greenhouse gases every year.
"The US economy not only loses $ 78 billion every year due to daily traffic congestion on the roads, as calculated by the Texas transportation institute, but these traffic jams also burden the environment unnecessarily in the form of 25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide," according to a session paper.
It said intelligent traffic management solutions combined with modern rapid transit systems from the portfolio of the mobility division of the industry sector can help to prevent both.
"We know something must be done to stop damage to our planet and our future. And Siemens has the answers," said Hans-Jorg Grundmann, CEO of the Mobility Division, in Sacramento.
He presented the new Mobility Division, the unit in the Siemens Industry sector that combines rail systems with road traffic management systems, as the solution provider for all mobility requirements.
'No other industry provider can come even close to us in our range of answers to mobility challenges, the CEO asserted. He said that especially the state of California, whose governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has made environment protection a top priority was a perfect partner for Siemens to implement forward-looking traffic solutions.
Grundmann said Siemens is determined to strengthen its already solid position in the US market even further with innovative solutions. "For example, every third light rail system in North America is from Siemens- and we are the number one provider in the country.
One in six US cities uses Siemens advanced transportation management systems, over 50 per cent of the country's busiest airports are equipped with Siemens lighting and control technology. And 90 per cent of all US mail is processed by Siemens postal systems.
However, Grundmann also states that isolated innovations in individual areas are not enough to meet the challenges of the future.
"Yes, we obviously still deliver locomotives or rail interlocking systems, subway trains or intelligent traffic systems. And we will continue to do so,'' he added.
Grundmann sees 'a global market of over 87 billion Euros by 2010-only two years from now. And the most dynamic growth is expected in regions with the highest rate of population growth and urbanisation-such as Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
Siemens is the only company in the world with the comprehensive expertise and the broad portfolio to plan, develop and implement intermodal transportation solutions.
Meanwhile, the Mobility Division of Siemens' Industry Sector has strengthened its leading position in the US market as supplier of light rail vehicles (LRVs) by winning another big order.
Regional Transportation District (RTD) of Denver, Colorado, has already placed an order valued at about US $ 184 million (EUR 125 million) for another 55 Siemens light rail vehicles (SD 160).
This is the largest light rail vehicle contract that Siemens ever signed in the US since the early nineties, a statement of Siemens issued from Sacramento of California said.
Siemens has delivered 95 LRVs to Denver. The last order for 34 cars is still in process, but seven of them are already in operation.
As the market leader for light rail vehicles in North America, high-floor vehicles made by Siemens are already providing reliable service in the U.S. cities of Denver, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and St. Louis, as well as in the Canadian cities of Calgary and Edmonton.
Siemens-built low-floor light rail vehicles, on the other hand, ply in Charlotte, Houston, Norfolk, Portland and San Diego.
This new Denver order is meanwhile the second large-scale order received from North America this fiscal year.
At the beginning of December, Siemens was given an order by the Canadian transit operator Go Transit, to upgrade the signaling and communications equipment for Toronto's Union Station. Worth the equivalent of EUR 140 million, this is the biggest rail automation order Siemens has ever won in North America.
The Siemens Industry Sector is the world's leading supplier of production, transportation and building systems. Integrated hardware and software technologies combined with industry-specific solutions enable Siemens to enhance the productivity and efficiency of its customers in industry and infrastructure.
The Sector comprises six Divisions: Building Technologies, Industry Automation, Industry Solutions, Mobility, Motion Control and Osram. In fiscal 2007 (ended September 30), Siemens Industry generated sales of around euro 40 billion (unconsolidated) with approximately 209,000 employees worldwide.
With its "Complete Mobility" approach, the Division is focused on networking the various modes of transportation in order to ensure the efficient transport of people and goods. "Complete Mobility" combines the company's competence in operations control systems for railways and traffic control systems for roadways together with solutions for airport logistics, postal automation, traction power supplies and rolling stock for mass transit, regional and mainline services, as well as forward-looking service concepts.