A Government Agency in a Developing Country is Trying to Enhance the Country's Transport Infrastructure - Case Study Example

Module Code Module Title Tutor Name Name of Class/Group Assessment Title: Report Assignment Title: Transport Method Student ID Number Date of Submission 1. Introduction Transport infrastructure defines the products and services allowing movement of people from one place to next; movement of products and services from one location to the next (The World Bank, 2012). The infrastructure includes the physical components such as the roads, airports, docking stations and services that support the entire processes of transport such as laws and rules. Transport infrastructure is important for developing countries because it is a key element of the economy, assists in stimulating development and enhancement of the welfare of the people of the country. Stimulating the economy and supporting the social framework is possible through ensuring efficiency in transport infrastructure (Kinuthia, 2014). The aim of the report is to discuss Kenyan transport infrastructure with a focus on the comparison of road and railway transport. In addition, the economic and social significance of rail and road networks is discussed and concludes with a presentation of recommendations. 2. Background Kenya is a country located in East Africa, and the capital city is called Nairobi. Kenya has a population of approximately 48 million people while it covers 581,309 km2. Kenya has a humid and warm tropical climate at the coast while the interior parts of the country are cooler. Kenya received its independence in 1963 from the British. The country is controlled by a unitary presidential constitutional republic whereby there are three branches of government, which are executive, legislature and judiciary. The economy of Kenya continues to develop, and the important economic sector is agriculture (Nunes, Galvão and eCunha, 2014). The economic is expanding and indicates strong performance in telecommunications, higher education, and tourism. The GDP growth rate is estimated at 5% for the past ten years; the unemployment rate is 38% while the rate of inflation was 6.45% in 2016. In 2010, a new constitution was passed that introduced regional governments and central government, and also changed the way the government fulfilled the requirements of the citizens. Since 2002, Kenyan government has introduced new infrastructural development with a focus on road network. Paved and unpaved roads are increasing, and these roads are linking important areas of the country. Double carriage road, overpasses, and eliminating roundabouts continue to influence the road network. The government has to improve the rail network through the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that links Mombasa with Nairobi is about to be completed as of January 2017. Proposals are in place to extend the network to neighboring countries such as Uganda and South Sudan. Other developments are evident in the air transport whereby the Kenyatta International Airport is refurbished while other airports are considered for improvements. However, most of these developments are in progress or are planned. Even though transport network is growing, corruption and accidents are common because of poor implementation of laws and regulations, and contractors not adhering to design and construction requirements. 3. Road and Rail Options 3.1.1 Road Networks As indicated the land area is small, and the cities/major cities are near e.g. approximately 150 minutes from the next city means that road network is preferable. The road network would support the short distances and long distances especially short distances in the rural areas while long distances across cities. For example, road transport is commonly used during the night to allow movement of people from Busia to Mombasa. Road network is also preferred for economic and business activities (Ndibatya, Booysen and Quinn, 2014). The country depends on agriculture meaning effective networks are required to ensure the products and raw materials are delivered appropriately and promptly. Apart from vehicles, motorcycles are a common means of transport and improving the road network would be important to encourage transport both in the urban areas and rural areas. 3.1.2 Rail Network The economy of the country is growing, and the introduction of regional governments means that raw materials and industrial products have to be moved. Since these products are heavy and bulky, the appropriate means of transport is rail transport. The government has continued developing the Mombasa-Nairobi routes, but it is advisable to consider other parts such as Northern Kenya. Rail network would reduce the dependence on road network for transport, and the heavy tracks will be required to move goods between cities rather than across cities. 4.0 Requirements 4.1 Economic requirements Kenya relies on agriculture for economic development, and conducive transport method ensures the economy grows since the produce and commodities can be transported easily. The service and manufacturing industry is growing, and the transport method would ensure human resource and workers move around easily. Effective transport methods reduce the costs of transportation because the fares reduce while the transporters do not suffer the frequent mechanical problem. The government would generate some revenues such as levies and taxes, which contributes to overall economic development. Therefore, effective transport method promotes and stimulates economic activities. 4.1 Social requirements Cultural and traditional ties continue to influence the activity of the country and movement from urban centers to the rural areas to visit parents, and other family members are important (Rancourt et al. 2015). The transport method ensures these individuals move easily while also creating employment opportunities. The development of agriculture and tourists destination increases the number of employment opportunities. The transport method also ensures the people can access basic and social needs such as hospitals, markets, government facilities, and other related services. Transport method sustains the social fabric through balancing numerous requirements and ensuring intended objectives are achieved; for example, it became easier and assured to move from Nairobi to Kisumu since the transport network is developed. 5.0 Comparison 5.1 Economic requirements 5.1.1 Road Network In England, 95% of the resident use strategic road networks while heavy trucks used the road network (Department for Transport 2015). Most of the people using road network are middle-income earners. Department for Transport (2016) states the development of road network is important since it improves movement of people and also economic activities ensuring efficient and effectiveness is sustained. Similar outcomes would be felt in Kenya because people in Kenya rely on public transport for related economic activities. 5.1.2 Rail Network The UK has developed rail network that covers more than 15,000 kilometers while more than 5000 are electrified. In addition, there are more than 2,560 stations in UK (Office of Rail and Road, 2017). The railway network is divided into high-speed rail, rail stations, and metro lines. The metro plays a crucial role in the cities where traffic congestion is addressed resulting in easiness of movement of people, and the goods network is used to connect countries and regions. The introduction of metro services would reduce congestion in major cities in Kenya. 5.1.3 Comparison according to economic requirements In regards to economic requirements, the preferable network is transport because of the cost of construction and terrain of Kenya (Gonzales et al. 2011). Furthermore, because of short distance and the business orientated ideology in Kenya, the road transport ensures farm products and other products are delivered as planned. However, rail networks can be planned for long-term strategic development. 5.2 Social Requirements 5.2.1 Road Network In England, a higher percentage of people between 25 and 64 years use road network because of work related journeys. Most of the trips were the short distance that is between 2 and 25 miles (Department for Transport 2015). Road traffic is a major issue, and the development of more road networks reduces the traffic and people moving around while enjoying scenes (Department for Transport 2016). 5.2.2 Rail Network Office of Rail and Road (2017) states that the rail network is used in the cities and the tunnel is used to connect countries. People can move easily, and it is estimated that more than 50% of people in the UK uses rail services to commute to work. The network is appropriate and applicable to Kenya social style especially in the cities where people spend more than 90 minutes while going or leaving from their respective workplaces. 5.2.3 Comparison According to Social Requirements For long-term requirements, the rail network is preferable, but for short term, the road network is appropriate because it fulfills easily the social requirements especially towards basic needs. 6. Conclusion Transport methods are important to social and economic development. Kenya is a developing economy that has introduced numerous policies and frameworks to develop the transport industry. The focus has been on rail and road network, and the Kenyan government has continued to improve these methods in ensuring the movement of people is efficient, advances economic activities, the creation of employment, and overall development requirements. 7. Recommendation The recommended network development is road network since the cities are near and the terrain including capital intensive nature of rail is not advisable for short distances in Kenya. Word Count: 1451 words References Department for Transport. (April 2016). Road use statistics Great Britain 2016. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514912/road-use-statistics.pdf Department for Transport. (January 2015). Strategic Road Network Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/448276/strategic-road-network-statistics.pdf Gonzales, E., Chavis, C., Li, Y. and Daganzo, C.F., 2011. Multimodal transport in Nairobi, Kenya: Insights and recommendations with a macroscopic evidence-based model. In Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting (No. 11-3045). Kinuthia, H. (2014). The Potential Impact Of Railway Infrastructure On Connectivity Within Nairobi Metropolitan- A Case Of Limuru Town (Kiambu County). Retrieved from http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/123456789/12923/The%20potential%20impact%20of%20railway%20infrastructure%20on%20connectivity%20within%20Nairobi....pdf;sequence=1 Ndibatya, I., Booysen, M.J. and Quinn, J., 2014, October. An adaptive transportation prediction model for the informal public transport sector in Africa. In Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC), 2014 IEEE 17th International Conference on (pp. 2572-2577). IEEE. Nunes, A.A., Galvão, T. and e Cunha, J.F., 2014. Urban public transport service co-creation: leveraging passenger's knowledge to enhance travel experience. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 111, pp.577-585. Office of Rail and Road. (2017). Economic regulation. Retrieved from http://www.orr.gov.uk/rail/economic-regulation Rancourt, M.È., Cordeau, J.F., Laporte, G. and Watkins, B., 2015. Tactical network planning for food aid distribution in Kenya. Computers & Operations Research, 56, pp.68-83. The World Bank. (2012). Kenya to Launch Rapid Road and Rail Transport to Ease the Country’s Urban Traffic Congestion. Retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2012/08/02/kenya-launch-rapid-road-rail-transport-ease-urban-traffic-congestion Read More