The third annual conference will be held in Pereira, Colombia. Photo by PezMico.

EMBARQ is pleased to announce the Third International Conference of Mass Transportation, to be held in Pereira, Colombia on August 17-20, 2011.

This year, the conference is organized around the theme, “Cities on the Move: Passion for Development." It will gather world-renowned transportation experts, international funding agencies, and leaders and experienced managers from mass transit systems across Latin America, including Transmilenio, Arequipabús, Megabús, Metrovía, Macrobús, URBS, and Transantiago. Conference topics include the systematic integration and development of urban transport, mass transit policy in Colombia, and financing mechanisms for infrastructure.

Keynote speakers include Felipe Targa Rodriguez, Colombia's Vice Minister of Transportation; Mauricio Cuellar, a representative from the World Bank in Colombia; Israel Alberto Londoño Londoño, Mayor of Pereira; Luz Ensueño Betancur Botero, Mayor of Dosquebradas ; Henry Antonio Cabrera Díaz, Manager of Megabús; Jairo Fernando Páez Mendieta, President of the Latin American Association of Integrated Transport and Bus Rapid Transit (SIBRT) and Vice-President of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP); and Luis Ricardo Gutierrez, EMBARQ's Latin America Strategic Director.

The event also will feature the Second Executive Committee Meeting of the Latin American Association for SIBRT, a crucial coordination platform that promotes the development of sustainable transportation policies in Latin America that represents 17 transit agencies from Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, and Paraguay, serving more than 19 million riders daily.

The Third International Conference of Mass Transportation is co-organized by Megabús and EMBARQ, with the sponsorship of the World Bank and the Colombian Ministry of Transportation.