Editing Transport in Papua New Guinea

{{Short description|Overview of the transport system in Papua New Guinea}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2023}}
[[File:Transport in Papua New Guinea.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Bus stuck on its way from [[Mount Hagen]] to [[Madang]]]]
'''Transport in Papua New Guinea''' is mainly based around roads (the vast majority of which is unpaved) and air travel. It is in many cases heavily limited by the mountainous terrain and copious amount of rainfall and frequent severe weather occurring in many locations, such as [[Lae, Papua New Guinea|Lae]].  The capital, [[Port Moresby]], is not linked by road to any of the other major towns and many highland villages can only be reached by light aircraft or on foot.

==Governance==
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.<ref>''The Economic Development of the Territory of Papua New Guinea'', World Bank, 1964</ref> 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,<ref>Programmes and policies for the economic development of Papua New Guinea, Government Printer, Port Moresby, 1968</ref> (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.<ref>DN Smith, Transport, development and project aid for Papua New Guinea, Annual Engineering Conference, Institution of Engineers, Australia, Newcastle, 1974</ref><ref>RJ Sothern, The Highlands Highway, ''[[Australian Geographer]]'', vol. 12, issue 2, September 1972</ref> 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.<ref>GJ McDonell, Studies and Programmes for Transport Facilities in Papua New Guinea, Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, September 1970</ref>

Major improvements were made to key highway links, notably between the coast and the highlands,<ref>See Sothern above</ref> 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.

==Air travel==
[[File:Haia airstrip.jpg|thumb|Rural airstrip at Haia, [[Eastern Highlands (Papua New Guinea)|Eastern Highlands Province]]]]
[[File:P2CHE.jpg|thumb|[[Columbia Helicopters, Inc]], [[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 [[flag carrier|national airline]] is [[Air Niugini]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.airniugini.com.pg/about-us/our-history/ |website=airniugini.com.pg |access-date=15 February 2023}}</ref>

'''Airports:''' 578 (2007 est.)
{|
| colspan=2|'''Airports - with paved runways'''
|- align=right
|''{{convert|2,438|to|3,047|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' ||  2
|- align=right
|''{{convert|1,524|to|2,437|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' || 14
|- align=right
|  ''{{convert|914|to|1,523|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' ||  4
|- align=right
|     ''under {{convert|914|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' ||  1 
|- align=right
|'''''total'''''      || 21
|-
| colspan=2|'''Airports - with unpaved runways'''
|- align=right
|''{{convert|2,438|to|3,047|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' ||   -
|- align=right
|''{{convert|1,524|to|2,437|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' ||  10
|- align=right
|  ''{{convert|914|to|1,523|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' ||  58
|- align=right
|     ''under {{convert|914|m|ft|sigfig=1}}'' || 489 
|- align=right
|'''''total'''''      || 557
|}

'''Heliports:'''  2 (2007 est.)

==Roadways==
[[File:Bus station near Walter Bay, from hills (cropped).jpg|thumb|Bus station near Walter Bay]]
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.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The National (Papua New Guinea)|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 }}</ref> The [[Kiunga-Tabubil Highway]] is a privately maintained road that links highland communities in the Western Province.

== Railways ==
Papua New Guinea has no major railways, but some mine sites have disused tracks. During the period of [[Germany|German]] colonial control at the start of the 20th century numerous {{RailGauge|600mm|lk=on}} [[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow-gauge]] plantation railways had been constructed in [[German New Guinea]]. These were built near the settlements of [[Madang]] and [[Rabaul]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> After the fall of German New Guinea to the [[Australia]]ns 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 mine|Yandera]] in [[Madang]] province.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> In 2023, a line from [[Lae]] to [[Vanimo]] was proposed by [[Morobe Province]] Governor Luther Wenge<ref>{{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}}</ref> and Prime Minister [[James Marape]] with the goal of expanding the region’s agricultural export opportunities.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

== Waterways and ports ==
[[File:POM Downtown.jpg|thumb|Port Moresby]]

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, Papua New Guinea|Buka]], [[Rabaul]]/[[Kokopo]], [[Kiunga, Papua New Guinea|Kiunga]], [[Wewak]] and [[Vanimo]].<ref name="LLDCN">{{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 }}</ref>

The major exports are mining and raw materials, with some [[containerization|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.<ref name="LLDCN"/>

'''Merchant marine:'''
<br>''Total:''
21 ships (1,000 GT or over) totaling 36,417 GT/{{DWT|52,432|metric|disp=long}}{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
<br>''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.

==See also==
{{portal|New Guinea}}
*[[Papua New Guinea]]
*[[List of airports in Papua New Guinea]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{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}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Transport in Papua New Guinea}}
{{Oceania in topic|Transport in}}
{{Papua New Guinea topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Papua New Guinea}}
[[Category:Transport in Papua New Guinea| ]]