The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) recently hosted the Closing Workshop of the Advancing Safety and Sustainable Environmental Transportation (ASSET) Project; a landmark initiative funded by the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) through the ACP Innovation Fund, under the sponsorship of the 11th European Union Development Fund.

The ASSET project launched in November 2023 and was made possible through the HIT RESET Caribbean Programme. Its objectives were to improve commuter access to safe, affordable, and environmentally sustainable transport, while contributing to reduction of carbon emissions within the local transport sector. As a result, partnerships between academia and the private sector were formed, with the inclusion of maxi-taxi associations and civil society.

The depth of research and the validity of the ASSET Project’s findings allow for its recommendations to transform national policy. This was reiterated at the Closing Workshop by Mr Hansen Narinesingh, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training. He added that projects like ASSET bring the principle of sustainable development to life, and “demonstrates how research and innovation can lead to practical, scalable change”.

The University of Trinidad and Tobago is proud to be part of this initiative, facilitating and championing collaboration, fostering ongoing dialogue and reinforcing the importance of data-driven, people-centred approaches in building sustainable transportation solutions.