Publication:
Explaining High Transport Costs within Malawi : Bad Roads or Lack of Trucking Competition?

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dc.contributor.authorWang, Hyoung
dc.contributor.authorLall, Somik V.
dc.contributor.authorMunthali, Thomas
dc.date.accessioned2012-03-19T19:14:01Z
dc.date.available2012-03-19T19:14:01Z
dc.date.issued2009-11-01
dc.description.abstractWhat are the main determinants of transport costs: network access or competition among transport providers? The focus in the transport sector has often been on improving the coverage of "hard" infrastructure, whereas in reality the cost of transporting goods is quite sensitive to the extent of competition among transport providers and scale economies in the freight transport industry, creating monopolistic behavior and circular causation between lower transport costs and greater trade and traffic. This paper contributes to the discussion on transport costs in Malawi, providing fresh empirical evidence based on a specially commissioned survey of transport providers and spatial analysis of the country s infrastructure network. The main finding is that both infrastructure quality and market structure of the trucking industry are important contributors to regional differences in transport costs. The quality of the trunk road network is not a major constraint but differences in the quality of feeder roads connecting villages to the main road network have significant bearing on transport costs. And costs due to poor feeder roads are exacerbated by low volumes of trade between rural locations and market centers. With empty backhauls and journeys covering small distances, only a few transport service providers enter the market, charging disproportionately high prices to cover fixed costs and maximize markups.en
dc.identifierhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20091117145646
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-5133
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/4325
dc.languageEnglish
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research working paper ; no. WPS 5133
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectACCESS ROADS
dc.subjectACCESSIBILITY
dc.subjectAGGLOMERATION BENEFITS
dc.subjectAGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES
dc.subjectAIR
dc.subjectARTERIES
dc.subjectASPHALT
dc.subjectASPHALT ROADS
dc.subjectAVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORT
dc.subjectAVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC
dc.subjectBAUXITE
dc.subjectBETTER ROAD
dc.subjectBETTER TRANSPORT
dc.subjectBOTTLENECK
dc.subjectBOTTLENECKS
dc.subjectBRIDGE
dc.subjectCAPITAL INVESTMENTS
dc.subjectCITY SIZE
dc.subjectCONGESTION
dc.subjectCOST OF TRANSPORT
dc.subjectDEPOSITS
dc.subjectDOMESTIC TRANSPORT
dc.subjectDRIVERS
dc.subjectECONOMIES OF SCALE
dc.subjectENGINES
dc.subjectEXTERNALITIES
dc.subjectFEEDER ROAD
dc.subjectFEEDER ROADS
dc.subjectFEEDER ROADS CONNECTING VILLAGES
dc.subjectFIXED COSTS
dc.subjectFLEETS
dc.subjectFOOTPATH
dc.subjectFOOTPATHS
dc.subjectFOREIGN EXCHANGE
dc.subjectFREIGHT
dc.subjectFREIGHT TRAFFIC
dc.subjectFREIGHT TRANSPORT
dc.subjectFUEL
dc.subjectFUEL COST
dc.subjectFUEL COSTS
dc.subjectGENERATORS
dc.subjectGOOD TRANSPORT
dc.subjectGPS
dc.subjectGRANITE
dc.subjectHDM4
dc.subjectHIGH TRAFFIC VOLUMES
dc.subjectHIGH TRANSPORT
dc.subjectHIGHWAY
dc.subjectHOUSING
dc.subjectIMT
dc.subjectINCOME
dc.subjectINFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS
dc.subjectINFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
dc.subjectINTERMEDIATE MEANS OF TRANSPORT
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT
dc.subjectJOURNEYS
dc.subjectLABOR MARKETS
dc.subjectLAND USE
dc.subjectLANES
dc.subjectLARGE CITIES
dc.subjectLOADING
dc.subjectLONGER DISTANCES
dc.subjectLORRIES
dc.subjectLORRY
dc.subjectLOWER TRAFFIC VOLUMES
dc.subjectMAIN ROAD
dc.subjectMAIN ROADS
dc.subjectMEANS OF TRANSPORT
dc.subjectMIGRATION
dc.subjectMILEAGE
dc.subjectMOBILITY
dc.subjectMODES OF TRANSPORT
dc.subjectMOTORIZED TRANSPORT
dc.subjectMOTORWAYS
dc.subjectPAVEMENT
dc.subjectPOOR ROAD
dc.subjectPOPULATION DENSITIES
dc.subjectPOPULATION DENSITY
dc.subjectPORTS
dc.subjectPRICE SETTING
dc.subjectPRODUCTIVITY
dc.subjectPROFIT MARGINS
dc.subjectPUBLIC POLICIES
dc.subjectPUBLIC SECTOR INVESTMENT
dc.subjectRAIL
dc.subjectRAILROADS
dc.subjectRECONSTRUCTION
dc.subjectROAD
dc.subjectROAD ACCESSIBILITY
dc.subjectROAD AUTHORITY
dc.subjectROAD CLASS
dc.subjectROAD CONDITIONS
dc.subjectROAD INVESTMENTS
dc.subjectROAD LENGTH
dc.subjectROAD LINKS
dc.subjectROAD MAINTENANCE
dc.subjectROAD NETWORK
dc.subjectROAD NETWORKS
dc.subjectROAD QUALITY
dc.subjectROAD ROUGHNESS
dc.subjectROAD SURFACE
dc.subjectROAD TRAFFIC
dc.subjectROAD TRANSPORT
dc.subjectROADS
dc.subjectROUGHNESS
dc.subjectROUTE
dc.subjectROUTES
dc.subjectRURAL ACCESSIBILITY
dc.subjectRURAL AREAS
dc.subjectRURAL HOUSEHOLDS
dc.subjectRURAL MOBILITY
dc.subjectRURAL ROUTES
dc.subjectRURAL TRANSPORT
dc.subjectRURAL TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
dc.subjectSANITATION
dc.subjectSAVINGS
dc.subjectSECONDARY ROADS
dc.subjectSHARING
dc.subjectSOCIAL SERVICES
dc.subjectSPEED
dc.subjectSPEEDS
dc.subjectSTRUCTURES
dc.subjectTAX
dc.subjectTERRAIN
dc.subjectTERTIARY ROADS
dc.subjectTRACKS
dc.subjectTRADE VOLUME
dc.subjectTRAFFIC
dc.subjectTRAFFIC DATA
dc.subjectTRAFFIC DEMAND
dc.subjectTRAFFIC FLOWS
dc.subjectTRAFFIC VOLUME
dc.subjectTRAFFIC VOLUMES
dc.subjectTRANSPORT BURDEN
dc.subjectTRANSPORT CHARGES
dc.subjectTRANSPORT COST
dc.subjectTRANSPORT COSTS
dc.subjectTRANSPORT GEOGRAPHY
dc.subjectTRANSPORT IMPROVEMENTS
dc.subjectTRANSPORT INDUSTRY
dc.subjectTRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
dc.subjectTRANSPORT INVESTMENT
dc.subjectTRANSPORT INVESTMENTS
dc.subjectTRANSPORT MARKETS
dc.subjectTRANSPORT NETWORK
dc.subjectTRANSPORT PRICE
dc.subjectTRANSPORT SECTOR
dc.subjectTRANSPORT SERVICE
dc.subjectTRANSPORT SERVICE PROVIDERS
dc.subjectTRANSPORT SERVICES
dc.subjectTRANSPORT VOLUME
dc.subjectTRANSPORTATION
dc.subjectTRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY
dc.subjectTRAVEL TIME
dc.subjectTRAVEL TIMES
dc.subjectTRIP
dc.subjectTRIP DISTANCE
dc.subjectTRIPS
dc.subjectTRUCKING
dc.subjectTRUCKS
dc.subjectURBAN DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectURBANIZATION
dc.subjectVEHICLE
dc.subjectVEHICLE COSTS
dc.subjectVEHICLE OPERATING
dc.subjectVEHICLE OPERATING COSTS
dc.subjectVEHICLE TRANSPORT
dc.subjectVEHICLES
dc.subjectWALKING
dc.titleExplaining High Transport Costs within Malawi : Bad Roads or Lack of Trucking Competition?en
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleExplaining High Transport Costs Within Malawi - Bad Roads Or Lack Of Trucking Competition ?
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T12:00:12.316157Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.docurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20091117145646
okr.globalpracticeTransport and ICT
okr.guid320781468300555019
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-5133
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000158349_20091117145646
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum11367559
okr.identifier.reportWPS5133
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2009/11/17/000158349_20091117145646/Rendered/PDF/WPS5133.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeAfrica
okr.region.administrativeAfrica
okr.region.countryMalawi
okr.region.geographicalSub-Saharan Africa
okr.region.geographicalSouthern Africa
okr.topicRoads and Highways
okr.topicRural Transport
okr.topicTransport
okr.unitDevelopment Research Group (DECRG)
okr.volume1 of 1
relation.isAuthorOfPublication1bad1919-f70a-5855-b415-77aa5d72f22d
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery1bad1919-f70a-5855-b415-77aa5d72f22d
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
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