Competition and complementarity between road and rail transport in the carriage of freight

A seminar on competition and complementarity between road and rail transport in the carriage of freight was conducted at ECLAC Headquarters on 6-7 November 2001. The seminar was attended by experts on transport matters from a range of countries, and their presentations covered the current state of integration of transport in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Also in attendance was an expert from Central America, who spoke about modal integration of freight transport in that region. Three round-table discussions were held with the participation of representatives of the trucking and rail sectors, drawn from both the private and public spheres.

Transportation in the 21st century: a vision for integration

The Third Western Hemisphere Transportation Ministerial meeting was held in New Orleans, Lousiana, United States, from 14 to 16 December 1998, under the theme Transportation in the 21st Century: A Vision for Integration. The meeting was attended by Ministers and heads of delegations from 33 countries of the Americas, representatives of various international organizations and business sector of the Continent. The current issue of the Bulletin provides the complete text of the Ministerial Declaration. For additional information, contact José María Rubiato: e-mail jrubiato@eclac.cl

Infrastructure, integration and equity: The social impact of the health and public transportation infrastructure.

Academicians and practitioners generally agree that there is a positive correlation between more and better infrastructure and economic growth. From the broader perspective of development, attempts have been made in the literature to identify the different theoretical connections and the empirical patterns that link infrastructure to productivity, on the one hand, and those that link it to social inclusion and equity, on the other hand. Infrastructure contributes to development in different ways. The capital involved is not homogeneous, nor is its effect on the distributive aspects. Water and sanitation have a particularly strong association with the health of the general population and with infant mortality, early childhood health, learning abilities and the acquisition of labour skills. With respect to transportation, the reduction of costs and travel times has a direct economic impact on economic activities of production and domestic and international distribution. That infrastructure also has a social and distributive role to play by reducing the number of fatal accidents and serious injuries in the sectors that are naturally most susceptible to them, namely, the poor. Under the broad umbrella of infrastructure, we can include a number of facilities that make possible the provision of certain services. Some of these facilities require very significant fixed capital investments; some of them are residential, while others are not necessarily. What they all have in common is the existence of networks (transportation, wiring, pipelines) and a strong convergence of physical capital and/or technology, as well as the need for major investments in periodic maintenance.

Training in the inland freight transportation sector in Latin America

This issue of the FAL Bulletin covers training in the inland freight transportation and logistical operations sector in Latin America and its role in productivity and competitiveness.

Trends in the share of railways in transportation

This issue of the FAL Bulletin analyses the history of railways in modal distribution in Latin America, and puts forward recommendations for improving their functioning and making them a real, competitive and sustainable transport option.

Rail, urban transport and road maintenance: current trends and prospects

This edition of the FAL Bulletin provides an account of recent developments and trends in rail and urban transport and road maintenance in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Current issues and prospects in the transport sector: urban transport, rail transport and highway maintenance

This edition of the FAL Bulletin tells of recent events and trends in urban transport, railways and highway maintenance in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Towards low-carbon transportation infrastructures

This bulletin discusses the importance of low-carbon transportation infrastructures for the integrated development of the region.

The potential for more trade by rail between Brazil and its neighbours in the Southern Cone

This edition of the FAL bulletin contains the summary of a review carried out by ECLAC concerning the potential for a higher level of trade via rail between Brazil and other countries of the expanded Mercosur, and through those countries with Asia.At present, such trade occurs at very low levels, except in the case of trade with Bolivia. Some projects are planned, however, that would improve integration of the railway network in the Southern Cone, without requiring very significant levels of investment. If those projects are executed, the prospects would be good in the medium and long term for substantially increasing trade by rail in the region.

An Assessment Of The Economic Impact Of Climate Change On The Transportation Sector In Montserrat

.--I. Introduction.--II. Literature review regarding climate change impacts on international transportation.--III. Economy of the Caribbean subregion and Monserrat.--IV. The international transportaion system in the Caribbean and in Monserrat.--V. Vulnerabilities of international transport system in Monserrat to climate change.--VI. Modelling.-- VII. Economic impact analysis of climate chage on the international transport.-- VIII. Approaches to mitigation and adaptation in the air and sea transportation sectors.-- IX. Conclusions

Towards a demand model for maritime passenger transportation in the Caribbean: a regional study of passenger ferry services

In this paper, the main factors that influence the demand for maritime passenger transportation in the Caribbean were studied. While maritime studies in the Caribbean have focused on infrastructural and operational systems for intensifying trade and movement of goods, there is little information on the movement of persons within the region and its potential to encourage further integration and sustainable development. Data to inform studies and policies in this area are particularly difficult to source. For this study, an unbalanced data set for the 2000-2014 period in 15 destinations with a focus on departing ferry passengers was compiled. Further a demand equation for maritime passenger transportation in the Caribbean using panel data methods was estimated. The results showed that this demand is related to the real fare of the service, international economic activity and the number of passengers arriving in the country by air.