The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), organised a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on "Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) & Road Safety" under the UrbanShift Country Project for officials of Surat Municipal Corporation. Held on 16–17 October 2025, the workshop aimed to strengthen institutional capacity for planning safer, more inclusive, and sustainable urban environments by advancing the long-term vision of "People before Vehicles and Safety before Speed." The sessions focused on prioritising non-motorised transport, including pedestrian infrastructure, improving walkability, addressing on-ground road safety challenges, and promoting sustainable mobility management practices.

The workshop featured expert-led technical sessions along with hands-on exercises conducted by NIUA and IBI Arcadis, enabling officials to better understand approaches for developing safe, affordable, comfortable, reliable, and sustainable urban transport systems that prioritise the movement of people over vehicles. The workshop witnessed participation from over 250 officials from Surat Municipal Corporation.

The event was graced by Dr. Debolina Kundu, Director, NIUA, Mr. Manojkumar Muthumanickam, Programme Management Officer, GEF Climate Mitigation Unit, UNEP, along with the Additional City Engineer, Surat Municipal Corporation, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Surat Traffic Police Department, and faculty members from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat. The workshop marked the first in a series of capacity-building initiatives envisioned under the UrbanShift Country Project to support Surat in advancing sustainable urban mobility and road safety.