Transport

Al tiempo que el mundo espera la conclusión del proyecto de expansión del Canal de Panamá, los esfuerzos por mejorar la infraestructura de transporte del país han continuado de manera estable. Los cambios más radicales están teniendo lugar en ciudad de Panamá, donde la construcción de un nuevo sistema metro, la descontinuación del obsoleto sistema de buses "diablo rojo" y el mejoramiento de varias de las principales vías del país deberían contribuir al alivio de la congestión generada por el rápido crecimiento de la capital.

An overhaul of driving regulations and the launch of a national transportation master plan are hoped to improve links in Brunei Darussalam as the country aims to play a central role in a regional trade grouping. However, convincing Bruneians to choose public transport, rather than their vehicles, appears to be a major challenge.

Railway developments are moving forward in Abu Dhabi, with the first phase of an expansive national project expected to be completed this year. A national network will decrease the emirate’s dependence on increasingly busy highways, and could be a boon to GDP growth. However, delays in scheduled passenger services will keep commuters on the highways for the next several years.

Vast stretches of desert once tracked by camel trains will soon be spanned by one of the world’s most modern and sophisticated transport systems, with Saudi Arabia now developing a countrywide rail network that underpins the government’s programme to diversify the economy.

With the ongoing expansion of the port and container terminal at Aqaba and the new terminal at the Queen Alia International Airport, there is a sense of cautious optimism in the kingdom’s transport and logistics sector.

A ruling by India’s government last September to end more than a decade of protectionism in the aviation industry is expected to bring new investment to the sector and offer a lifeline to some of its carriers.