Transport
Sector: Transport/Road Total Cost: $157 million Status: Ongoing
This ADB-funded multitranche financing facility project responds to the Government of India's prioritized acceleration of development efforts in the North Eastern Region. It will improve interstate connectivity in the states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, enhancing mobility and accessibility.
Sector: Transport/Road Total Cost: $97 million Status: Ongoing
The project is enhancing connectivity within Nepal, and with its neighbors. An alternate route will be built in Sunsari and Saptari districts, creating year-round passable conditions along the East-West Highway. Hill area feeder roads will improve connectivity between villages.
Sector: Transport/Road Total Cost: $315 million Status: Ongoing
This project will increase road capacity of a major international trade corridor and enhance land port capacity, boosting the national economy and facilitating subregional cooperation and trade. It is upgrading sections of the Dhaka–Northwest corridor, and improving two land ports.
Sector: Transport/Road Total Cost: $13 million Status: Ongoing
This technical assistance loan is developing a design for the Dhaka–Chittagong Expressway for financing under a public–private partnership (PPP), and assisting the Ministry of Communication of the Government of Bangladesh in engaging a concessionaire for the follow-on project.
Sector: Transport/Rail Total Cost: $13 million Status: Ongoing
This multitranche financing investment program (worth a total $539.5 million) will improve the performance of Bangladesh's railway sector by investing in infrastructure, reforming sector policy, and implementing organizational and capacity building reforms to improve commercial focus, governance, and accountability.
Sector: Transport/Air Total Cost: $92 million Status: Ongoing
This project will enhance safety and capacity at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu and three remote domestic airports—Lukla, Rara, and Simikot. TIA's airfield side infrastructure will be reconfigured and upgraded to international safety standards. The Project will also improve overall sector management for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
SASEC Transport Sector Strategy
- Create dynamic multimodal transport networks and effective logistics facilities to increase intraregional trade and boost economic growth
- Facilitate planning and implementation of regional and national SASEC transport projects that benefit all members
- Support the strategic priorities of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation at the inter-regional level
Key Facts
- At least 70% of freight is moved by road throughout South Asia
- South Asia has one of the largest railway networks in the world, stretching over 77,000 km mostly through India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka
- Air freight grew at 7.5% per annum during 2001-2004
- Passenger air travel is growing at 12% per annum
Key Challenges
- Deteriorating road networks damage cargoes and delay transit times
- Railway networks suffer from inadequate loop lengths, missing shorter links in border areas, and insufficient gauge conversion programs
- National transport systems in South Asia lack effective cross-border infrastructure, holding up trade
- Lack of modern automated border procedures (documentation and inspection) lead to higher costs and more time for goods, vehicles and traders to cross borders
- Inadequate regional uniformity of standards costs business time and money
Unlocking the Future:
Multimodal Transport Connectivity
- Improving the efficiency of regional transport and trade facilitation could lead to increased intraregional trade within South Asia of almost 60%
- Expanding the range of effective transport corridors into multimodal economic corridors could increase trade from South Asia with the rest of the world by over 30%