Transport in Timor-Leste (Research Paper Sample)

Transport in Timor-Leste Student’s Name Institution Introduction This report aims at identifying the transport problems that face Timor-Leste. It also seeks to suggest a few solutions that might be of assistance in trying to address this problem. Timor-Leste is a small country found south of Indonesia. It is majorly composed of Islands. The fact that the country is made up of several island, widens the scope of their transport problem. They face various obstacles in road transport, air transport and water transport. The report aims at producing practical and effective solutions to this problem. Problem description The country faces all types of challenges when it comes to transport. Nearly all forms of transport in Timor-Leste are deficient in one way or the other. This report analyses the various problems of the different means of transport. The roads in Timor-Leste are very pervasive. With an estimated 6000km network, they have managed cover almost every part of the country. 500km of the roads in the country are gravel, 3000km of earth formed roads and 2600km made of bitumen. Though there roads cover a majority of the country, they are limited in girth. The roads are about 3.5 to 5 meters wide. This prevent cars on two lane roads to pass each other without over to the pavements. The roads are not leveled horizontally or vertically. There is also drainage due to their slope. Poor drainage results in flooded roads when it rises (World Bank, 2013). For the roads, there are problems unique to urban areas and those unique to rural areas. The urban areas experience heavy traffic, little parking spaces in the already narrow congested roads. There are also traffic conflicts that are caused by the activities at the ports. The limited number of public transport providers. The existing players are owner driven busses and taxis. The roads in rural areas are very poorly built. The terrain limits the amount of access that a road passing through this part. Being a collection of islands, Timor-Leste has to incorporate water transport in to its transport system. The main port, also happens to be the only international port, happens to be located near the town center. The activities at the port may at times interfere with traffic flow in the town. The amount of cargo that comes through the port may also pose as a potential hazard in that the weight may be too much and destroy the road. The rivers in the country are very steep and are therefore useless as far as transport is concerned (Nuttall, 2014). The country has one international airport, Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport. It can accommodate B727 and other air crafts in the same category. Its runway has however, been neglected in terms of renovations for quite some times. It is also important to note that there is only one airport in this country that offers public transport services. The Lobato airport can accommodate much more planes than other airports, it is rather poorly situated (World Bank, 2013). Aims and Objectives As earlier stated the report seeks to make a few suggestions and pose several challenges to the people and government of the Republic of Timor-Leste. Transport does not only limit itself to the means of transport but also the users of these means. In the report several ideas are addressed. The problems that face the transport sector of Timor-Leste. This is a brief summary of how the transport sector of this sector is challenged by these problems. Secondly, the report seeks to identify the causes of these deficiencies. This will ultimately assist in drawing up solutions. Lastly the report will make a few suggestions and pointers on what strategies the people and the government of the Republic of Timor-Leste. It will provide comparison and the strategies of how other countries in similar situations have addressed their transport problems. Plan of Activity Since of the scope of the project is very large, a lot of research has gone into defining the course of action that needs to be effected if any change is to be realized in Timor-Leste. The plan has been categorised in the following way. The severity of the level of destruction of the roads will have to be determined in order to be able to prioritize what needs to be done at what time. The limits of the country’s resources have to be considered and put at heart before any amount of money is invested in any project. It is after establishing the need for renovation can any of the suggestions be attempted. Traffic control is a good place to start. The government needs to reevaluate the efficiency of their traffic control policies, and deploy more traffic officers and traffic lights. The roads in Timor lack necessary road signs and markings. This is a very positive way of investing in the betterment of the infrastructure of the country. The next course of action would be to realize the need of certain roads being completely reconstructed. This will reduce the cost of ensuring the roads in Timor-Leste are up to standard. The government need to contract experts from within the country to do the job of filling potholes and such. The completely destroyed roads need to be fully repaired. In the spirit of reducing the amount of traffic in the country, the government should invest in putting up standard public transport busses and wagons in the town area. This will not only decongest the area but also create parking and off-loading space in the country. The government also needs to develop other ports in the country to decrease the load it is forced to handle. This move will decrease the likely hood of the roads in Dili to suffer because of overloading. It may be beneficial if the construction of a railway, regardless of the nature of the terrain, is taken into consideration. If a railway was to be built it would mean all goods coming into the country through the port be transported to their various locations through rail. It is a very expensive venture but will bear very positive and invaluable solution to the current transport crisis. As for air transport, it is very important the country open up more of the closed air ports and develop them to offer public transport services in an effort to decongest and relieve Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport. Also looking into where the airports are placed would be of great assistance. It should be noted that the airports can be another valuable means of import and export. If the country were to realize the potential of transferring some of the duties of the port to the airport, then the ciris at the ports would be handled effectively. Resources: Human and Financial The project is very demanding. It is very important that each and every person realize their role in ensuring the various aspects of this project are performed to standard. The project obviously requires a lot of input from all spheres of the country. The government needs to call on its traffic police to be vigilant in exercising their duties. The necessary man power should be deployed to the roads, especially in urban areas where the traffic congestion is rampant. There needs to be traffic lights, road signs and road markings put up on the roads that connect districts and urban areas. It is the responsibility of the citizens eligible to aid this project in any way, be it financially, physically or in terms of expertise. The government can offer tenders to the citizens of this country with respect to transport. They may invite investors who provide the necessary financial support to fund some projects such as the establishment of public service busses. After busses are introduced, the drivers that are employed by the bus companies need to be evaluated and be qualified to take on the responsibility of public transport. The opening up of more ports and airports in the country will be a move that will see to it that more jobs are created and at the same time the crisis in transport addressed. Personnel, like pilots and flight attendants need to be trained to ensure the newly expanded ports and air ports have the right people to handle the people who require the services of the ports and airports (World Bank, 2013). This project will indeed cost a lot of money and labor to effect any of the suggestion in this report. Various avenues need to be explored in creating capital for this project. The government may need to seek loans and grants from international sources like World Bank. The government then needs to review their budget and incorporate these projects in the budget. Inviting international investors can...