Establecimiento de empresas de reparación y mantenimiento de contenedores en América Latina y el Caribe = Establishing container repair and maintenance enterprises in Latin America and the Caribbean

Incluye Bibliografía

Manual para la evaluación de proyectos de vías nacionales y regionales mediante el uso del programa HDM: the Highway Design and Maintenance Standard Model

Incluye Bibliografía

Cooperación económica entre países latinoamericanos y del Caribe en el establecimiento de empresas de reparación de contenedores: proyecto de la CEPAL = Economic co-operation among Latin American and Caribbean countries in the establishment of container repair and maintenance enterprises: project prepared by CEPAL

Incluye Bibliografía

Evaluation of the circumstances under which it would be feasible to establish container repair and maintenance enterprises

Includes bibliography

Exposiciones sobre la evaluación de las circunstancias en que sería factible establecer empresas de reparación y mantenimiento de contenedores = Presentations concerning the evaluation of the circumstances under which it would be feasible to establish container repair and maintenance enterprises

Incluye Bibliografía

Progress of road maintenance in Latin America

Road maintenance work has gradually been increasing in Latin America. Existing contracts in Argentina, Chile, Guatemala and Uruguay - 210 overall - account for a total of 20,212 kilometers of public roadways by level of service. In Brazil, Ecuador and Peru, 26 contracts are now in the pipeline for the maintenance of 7,700 kilometres of roadway. This issue of the FAL Bulletin presents a survey of the status of road maintenance considered at the second Seminar of the Americas of the Road Maintenance Training Programme (Provial), held in Lima, Peru from 18 to 21 October 1999 and which examined the type of financing used in road maintenance as well as contracts, institutions and interaction between the public and private sectors.

Physical integration of Mercosur-Bolivia-Chile-Peru: The potential contribution of the railway systems

This edition of the Bulletin highlights sections of a recent study carried out by the Transport Unit of ECLAC on behalf of the Institute for Latin American Integration (INTAL) entitled Physical Integration of Mercosur-Bolivia- Chile-Peru: the potential contribution of the railway systems. One of the conclusions stresses the need for the railway and other companies involved in the construction of any major project to sign formal agreements relating to the allocation of freight, track utilization fees and other factors on which operation of the railway to be constructed will depend.

The opportunities and risks associated with privatizing railways in Latin America

Most railways in Latin America were built by private firms, often foreign owned. Over time, owing to a combination of nationalizations and competition from road transport, virtually all railways passed into government hands; the railroad industry became more and more of a white elephant for the Government because of the ever-increasing subsidies it swallowed up, its dwindling role in national economies, and a conviction that Governments should not be involved in productive activities. Consequently, the late 1980s saw the start of a trend towards denationalization of railways, with the latter being turned over to private, often foreign, interests. In this way, the railway industry in Latin America has come full circle in the space of 150 years. So far, there has not been any assessment of the recent privatization of railways in Latin America. However, the conclusion would probably be that: (i) privatization has on the whole been successful, and (ii) the results achieved would have been more positive still, had some things been done slightly differently. One problem is that the bidding process has failed to take into account the positive externalities associated with railways, such as the contribution they make to reducing road maintenance costs and environmental damage caused by road transport. Another unresolved issue is whether to put the entire railway system up for tender, or to invite separate bids for infrastructure and services. Economies of scale operate in the railway industry, favouring the existence of a number of rail companies. In the past, the railway companies of neighbouring countries such as Argentina and Paraguay, and Bolivia and Chile, enjoyed ties at director level, but these came to an end with the nationalization of railways. Now that the era of State involvement is itself drawing to a close, we can expect to see the formation of integrated railway systems, one of which might extend from Quijarro, on the border between Bolivia and Brazil, to Puerto Montt in the south of Chile.

Analysis of railway privatization in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin American railway privatization has achieved significant results, since the situation today is better than if the railways had remained under management and operation by the State. Traffic volumes have generally increased, although with wide variations between individual cases; government subsidies have been cut, and productivity has improved. On the other hand, the privatization of railways in Latin America has not been an unqualified success, because of certain features of the privatization models used and the environment of the transport sector in which the railways have to compete.

Road maintenance, funds and fund management

This edition of the Bulletin deals with road maintenance, funds and fund management. Among other things, it emphasizes, the need to manage road funds in accordance with clear performance rules which seek to minimize maintenance costs and ensure that the road network is maintained in an appropriate condition.

Road maintenance and international competitiveness

The present and subsequent editions of the Bulletin will deal with the issue of road maintenance, its close connection with transport costs and its impact upon the international competitiveness of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. When roads are in poor condition, vehicle operating costs increase by 30 to 50% or even more. Autonomous, adequate and regular funding contributes to effective road maintenance and, consequently, to reducing vehicle operating costs.

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.