Transport in Papua New Guinea

One of the key recommendations of the 1964 World Bank mission was the creation of a new department to manage the development of all transport modes.The Economic Development of the Territory of Papua New Guinea, World Bank, 1964 While many of the World Bank mission's recommendations were much argued both locally and internationally, this proposal was widely accepted as it was clear that both political and economic advancement depended on greatly improved land, sea and air transport. Beginning in 1967 with the appointment of a Coordinator of Transport heading a policy unit, in 1968–69 the Department of Transport was fully established as for policy and investment in all transport modes,Programmes and policies for the economic development of Papua New Guinea, Government Printer, Port Moresby, 1968 (civil aviation regulation remained with the Australian Department of Civil Aviation).

In the late 1960s, a large development program prepared by the Department of Transport as a result of the UNDP Transport Survey of Papua New Guinea was endorsed by the PNG House of Assembly, the Australian Parliament and multilateral agencies, and implementation continued through later decades.DN Smith, Transport, development and project aid for Papua New Guinea, Annual Engineering Conference, Institution of Engineers, Australia, Newcastle, 1974RJ Sothern, The Highlands Highway, Australian Geographer, vol. 12, issue 2, September 1972 This and subsequent revisions provided the basis for loans from the multilateral agencies, in particular the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and UNDP, establishing a relationship which remains.GJ McDonell, Studies and Programmes for Transport Facilities in Papua New Guinea, Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, September 1970

Major improvements were made to key highway links, notably between the coast and the highlands,See Sothern above to provide international standard port facilities at Port Moresby and Lae, and in lesser ports, for international and domestic airport upgradings, and for the regulation and management of transport services. The Department of Transport remains a key government agency.{{According to whom|date=March 2013}} Transport assistance from Australia also continued. The Transport Sector Support Program is funded by the Australian Government and continues a long-term commitment to the sector. The Transport Sector Coordination, Monitoring and Implementation Committee (TSCMIC) brings together the heads of all the relevant agencies to coordinate work. This body was created after a National Executive Council decision and first met in July 2006. Maintenance of transport network assets remains a key challenge in order to get the best out of previous investments.

File:Haia airstrip.jpg]]

File:P2CHE.jpg, Boeing Vertol 107-II used for heavy lift transportation in Papua New Guinea.]]

Air travel is a very important form of transport in Papua New Guinea, for the transport of humans and high density/value freight. Aeroplanes made it possible to open up the country during its early colonial period. Even today the two largest cities, Port Moresby and Lae, are only directly connected by planes. The biggest airport in the country is Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby. The national airline is Air Niugini.{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.airniugini.com.pg/about-us/our-history/ |website=airniugini.com.pg |access-date=15 February 2023}}

Airports: 578 (2007 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2007 est.)

File:Bus station near Walter Bay, from hills (cropped).jpg

As of 1999, Papua New Guinea has a total of {{convert|19,600|km|mi|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} of all-weather highway, of which only {{convert|686|km|mi|abbr=on}} is sealed/asphalted. Where there are roads there are many privately operated Public Motor Vehicles (PMVs), mostly minivans, which function as unscheduled buses.

The longest road in the country is the Highlands Highway, which links Lae and Madang to the Highlands region. The Boluminski Highway links Kavieng and Namatanai in New Ireland Province. A highway linking Wewak in East Sepik Province and Vanimo in West Sepik Province was completed in September 2007.{{cite news |publisher=The National |date=2007-09-06 |url=http://www.thenational.com.pg/090607/nation19.htm |title=East Sepik-Sandaun Highway complete |access-date=2007-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219204733/http://www.thenational.com.pg/090607/nation19.htm |archive-date=2007-12-19 }} The Kiunga-Tabubil Highway is a privately maintained road that links highland communities in the Western Province.

Papua New Guinea has no major railways, but some mine sites have disused tracks. During the period of German colonial control at the start of the 20th century numerous {{RailGauge|600mm|lk=on}} narrow-gauge plantation railways had been constructed in German New Guinea. These were built near the settlements of Madang and Rabaul.{{Cite web |url=http://www.pngbuai.com/300socialsciences/transport/railgerman1a.html |title=Transport — German New Guinea — German Neuguinea railways 19th Century (1884 - 1914) |publisher=PNGBuai.com}} After the fall of German New Guinea to the Australians in the First World War the railways fell into disrepair.

In September 2007, a mining company proposed to build a new railway to link the coast with a copper-molybdenum mine at Yandera in Madang province.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenational.com.pg/091307/business1.htm |title=Marengo eyes K683m copper-hauler railway |publisher=The National |date=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423195509/http://www.thenational.com.pg/091307/business1.htm |archive-date=2008-04-23 }} In 2023, a line from Lae to Vanimo was proposed by Morobe Province Governor Luther Wenge{{cite web|last=Kellerton|first=Marysila |title=Wenge Proposes Railway System|url=https://www.looppng.com/png-news/wenge-proposes-railway-system-116671|website=Loop: Your News Now|date=12 January 2023}} and Prime Minister James Marape with the goal of expanding the region’s agricultural export opportunities.{{cite web|title=Partnership To Build Railway System: PM|url=https://www.thenational.com.pg/partnership-to-build-railway-system-pm/|publisher=The National|date=12 January 2023}}

File:POM Downtown.jpg

The country has {{convert|10,940|km|mi|abbr=on}} of waterways, and commercial port facilities at Port Moresby, Alotau, Oro Bay, Lae, Kimbe, Kieta Madang, Buka, Rabaul/Kokopo, Kiunga, Wewak and Vanimo.{{cite news| last =Crisp |first =Dale |title =Troubled times in paradise | work =Lloyd's List Daily Commercial News| pages = 11–14| publisher =Informa Australia | date =2009-07-09 }}

The major exports are mining and raw materials, with some containerized trade through Port Moresby and Lae. Import volumes exceed exports, resulting in increased shipping costs as the inbound leg compensates for empty capacity on the outbound journey. Principal trade routes are southward to Australian ports, and northward to Singapore.

Merchant marine:

Total:

21 ships (1,000 GT or over) totaling 36,417 GT/{{DWT|52,432|metric|disp=long}}{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

Ships by type:

bulk 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll-on/roll-off 3 (1999 est.)

In coastal locations, small "banana boat" dinghies provide a local transport service.

{{portal|New Guinea}}

• Papua New Guinea
• List of airports in Papua New Guinea

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• {{cite book|last1=McKillop|first1=Robert F|last2=Pearson|first2=Michael R|title=End of the Line: A History of Railways in Papua New Guinea|year=1997|publisher=University of Papua New Guinea Press|location=Port Moresby|url=http://www.pngbuai.com/300socialsciences/transport/railway-history/EOL-rail-history/EOL-mckillop&pearon-book.html|isbn=998084096X}}
• {{cite book|last1=Speyer|first1=Martin|last2=Carolin|first2=Mike|editor1-last=Dick|editor1-first=Howard|title=In Coral Seas: The History of the New Guinea Australia Line|date=2004|publisher=Nautical Association of Australia in association with John Swire & Sons|location=Caulfield South, Vic.|isbn=0975689606}}

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{{Commons category|Transport in Papua New Guinea}}

{{Oceania in topic|Transport in}}

{{Papua New Guinea topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Papua New Guinea}}