Resource information
The purpose of this report is to assist
policy makers and planners in developing countries in the
preparation of a National Transport Strategy (NTS). The
report highlights lessons that can be learned from NTSs
developed by different countries around the world. It draws
upon transport strategy and policy documents from 23
countries and from a range of World Bank source material.
The aim is not to provide a ready-made strategy document but
to identify relevant questions and choices that need to be
considered in preparing an NTS. At each stage of the
development of the NTS, a checklist of considerations is
given, and, where appropriate, examples of good and bad
practice are identified. Within the report particular
attention is paid to separately identifying Objectives,
Policy Principles and Strategies. Objectives express
society's goals, which should reflect the general
socio-economic goals of the country-goals that are shared
with other (non-transport) sectors. Policy Principles
represent the principles that should govern the pursuit of
those goals. They are the guiding philosophy for decisions
within the sector. Strategies represent the ways in which
goals are to be achieved in line with the policy principles.
A wide range of policies relating to the sector as a whole
and to different modes of transport are considered in the
report, covering topics such as investment planning, private
provision of road infrastructure, transport services, rail
infrastructure and operations, ports and multi-modal
transport, route service franchising, pricing, cost recovery
and taxation. In addition, a series of examples of how
strategies can be formulated based on objectives and policy
principles are given. Throughout the report, consultation
and transparency in the preparation of an NTS are stressed.
The report concludes with a broad assessment of the
strengths and weaknesses of NTSs reviewed for the report.
