Publication:
The Path to a Multimodal Future in Eastern South Asia

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dc.contributor.authorNora, Erik
dc.contributor.authorKunaka, Charles
dc.contributor.authorNikore, Mitali
dc.date.accessioned2024-06-18T18:28:43Z
dc.date.available2024-06-18T18:28:43Z
dc.date.issued2024-06-18
dc.description.abstractThe eastern South Asia region (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal) has extensive networks of all the main modes of surface transport for the movement of goods, both within and between countries. However, goods transport in the region is heavily dependent on a single mode—road transportation—which accounts for about three-quarters of the market in India and Bangladesh and over 90 percent in Bhutan and Nepal. The regional road transportation system faces significant structural challenges that undermine its effectiveness, notably severe congestion and poor reliability. Multimodal transport is increasingly recognized in the region as a way of achieving seamless movement of freight. When combined with measures that synchronize and optimize the entire transportation chain, it can relieve congestion and decrease transit times by 40-50 percent. Many regional trade routes within eastern South Asia are long, exceeding 250 kilometers—a distance where rail and Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) have a competitive edge over road transport due to their lower costs and higher capacity for bulk shipments. This is particularly relevant given that mineral transportation, which is well-suited to these modes due to its bulk nature, constitutes a significant 67 percent of total cross-border trade flow in eastern South Asia. To better understand the economic benefits of improving multimodal transportation in eastern South Asia, the World Bank developed a detailed trade and transport model. The findings indicate that while both soft and hard measures are essential for creating a more efficient multimodal transport network, dismantling critical regulatory and policy barriers is three times more effective in enhancing the region’s trade potential. This paper focuses on the various dimensions of a multimodal freight transport system for eastern South Asia, examining the challenges that must be overcome to fully realize its potential.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099438406112419830/IDU1bd9961a4196fa14bc31b21c1942b0e96bf2b
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/41735
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/41735
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWashington, DC: World Bank
dc.relation.ispartofseriesACCESS Knowledge Notes Series; Issue 1
dc.rightsCC BY-NC 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/igo
dc.subjectTRANSPORT
dc.subjectCONNECTIVITY
dc.subjectREGIONAL INTEGRATION
dc.subjectNETWORK
dc.titleThe Path to a Multimodal Future in Eastern South Asiaen
dc.typeBrief
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleThe Path to a Multimodal Future in Eastern South Asia
okr.date.disclosure2024-06-18
okr.date.doiregistration2025-05-23T02:22:55.963708Z
okr.date.lastmodified2024-06-11T00:00:00Zen
okr.doctypeBrief
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099438406112419830/IDU1bd9961a4196fa14bc31b21c1942b0e96bf2b
okr.guid099438406112419830
okr.identifier.docmidIDU-bd9961a4-96fa-4bc3-b21c-942b0e96bf2b
okr.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1596/41735
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum34339010
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum34339010
okr.identifier.report191087
okr.import.id4517
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099438406112419830/pdf/IDU1bd9961a4196fa14bc31b21c1942b0e96bf2b.pdfen
okr.region.geographicalSouth Asia
okr.sectorTrade
okr.themeTrade Logistics,Mitigation,Trade Facilitation,Data Development and Capacity Building,ICT,Economic Policy,ICT Solutions,Trade Policy,Environment and Natural Resource Management,Regional Integration,Private Sector Development,Public Sector Management,Climate change,Trade,Adaptation,Data production, accessibility and use
okr.topicInternational Economics and Trade::Trade and Transport
okr.topicUrban Development::Transport in Urban Areas
okr.unitTransport-SAR (ISAT1)
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