Bhutan Statuspaper

7/28/2019 Bhutan Statuspaper

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STATUS PAPER ON ROAD FINANCING AND ROAD SAFETY

Country backgroundBhutan is one of the most mountainous countries in the world, located on the southernslopes of the eastern Himalayas bordering China and India. Trade and transit with other

countries takes place only through India. The nearest seaports are Kolkata/Haldia in Indiaand Chittagong in Bangladesh, which are located some 750 km from the border town ofPhuentsholing. Rail transport is non-existent at the moment; but the feasibility studies toprovide railway link to five border towns of Bhutan are on-going.

A) STATUS PAPER ON ROAD FINANCING1. Overview

Given the geographical feature and location of Bhutan as a land-locked country; roadis the principal mode of transport. Bhutans transportation system comprises ofapproximately 4392.5 km of road network, mule tracks, motorable bridges,suspension bridges, one international airport and heliports in different parts of the

country. Foot trails, mule tracks and suspended foot bridges continue to provideessential links between villages, administrative centers and the national road networksystem.

Bhutans road network is relatively young and characterized by fairly high costs ofoperation and maintenance due to difficult topography and low utilization. With about5.5 km of road for 1000 people and 79% of population living in villages in scatteredsettlements, many rural communities are still not connected to the road system.

The national highway (171 km) which connects the capital city, Thimphu from theborder town of Phuentsholing, forms the Asian Highway Network. The provision andmanagement of road infrastructure and services in Bhutan is solely in the publicdomain, and it is likely to remain so for many years to come. The Department ofRoads is the principal agency responsible for development and management of theroad network in Bhutan. However, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry Services,District Administrations, Department of Education, Department of Power, BhutanTelecom have also constructed and managed roads to meet their specificrequirements.

Other information requested in the questionnaire are provided below:

Requested information Statusa) How much is spent on

roads every year? Howmuch on maintenance andhow much on newconstruction? Plannedfuture fundingrequirements, foreseen ineconomic plan, separately

See Attachment A


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for road maintenance andnew construction

b) Government allocation offunds to the road sector(national/state/local

government, state-ownedenterprises etc)

Allocation of fund to the road sector by theGovernment during the current five year plan (J uly2002-J une 2007) was Nu. 6660.259 million and

later revised to Nu. 8556.831 million. This figureincludescapital as well as recurrentbudget.c) Source of funds Annual allocation from the Ministry of Financed) Is there any special fund?

If yes, how does the fundgenerate its resources?Provide contact point

No

e) What proportion ofallocation to the roadsector comes from the roadfund?

Road Fund has not been established

f) What are the eligible itemsfor financing from the roadfund?

Not Applicable

g) Share of private sectorcontribution to the roadsector

Nil. Private sector role is limited to undertakingworks on contract from the Government

2. Private SectorParticipation (PPP)projects undertaken inthe road sector

Please list PPP projects

undertaken in your countrywith information on, if any:

a) Implementing authorities

No projects are implemented under PPP

arrangement at the moment1

.

No projects under PPP arrangementb) Value in US Dollars

(domestic and foreignseparately)

Not applicable

c) Investor/sponsors:domestic, foreign or jointventure

Not applicable

d) Length and other majorphysical features of the

project

Not applicable

e) PPP modality with contractperiod (BOT, ROT, BOOetc)

Not applicable

1Management of parking lots is the closest that could be taken as a PPP program. Management andoperation of parking lots in urban areas are contracted out to the highest bidder on an annual contract basis.

This system has helped in recouping part of the investment made by the government in building urban roadinfrastructure. Municipal authorities are the implementing authorities in this case.


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f) If tolls are applied, howmuch, or the method forthe private sector obtaininga return on investment

Not yet

g) If any governmentcontribution was provided,if so, in what form and itsvalue

Not applicable

h) Who is the regulator, if any The Department of Roads regulates and prescribesstandards for all road works

i) General comment onsuccess of the project

There are no projects which are implementedunder PPP arrangements

3. Institutionalarrangements

a) Is there any special agencyin the government to deal

with PPP projects? If not,what are the main agenciesthat are involved in roadsector projects?

None as of now. The Department of Roadsexecutes road works in the government. The

Standard & Quality Authority ensures qualitycontrol and the Construction Development Boardregulates contractors performance. Otheragencies involved in road works are theDepartment of Urban Development & EngineeringServices, Bhutan Power Corporation, Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry Services, Bhutan Telecom,Department of Education etc. These roads cater tothe specific needs of the agencies.

b) Is there any special law (atthe central and provincial

level)?

Not on PPP matters. However, road developmentand management activities are generally governed

by the Road Act 2004c) General information on thePPP cycle

-

d) Are there any restrictionson private participation?

No

e) Are there any specialprovisions for the foreignprivate investors?

The Foreign Direct Investment Policy permitsforeign private investment in the roads, bridgesand transport services sectors.

f) Are there any legal andregulatory frameworks inplace?

The Road Act 2004

B) STATUS PAPER ON ROAD SAFETY

1. National trends in road accidentsOver the past one decade, there has been a sudden increase in the number of motorvehicles in the country. The growth rate in 2005 was about 11% when compared tothe previous year.


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The motor vehicle accident rate has risen drastically from 318 in 2003 to 818in 2004 and 1038 in 2005.

Reckless driving (including speeding) is the leading causes of road accidentaccounting for about 69% of all accident cases. Accident due to drunk drivingis relatively low at about 4%. Other causes include road condition, unlicensed

driving, mechanical failure and weather condition (refer Attachment B-3 fordetails).

About 52% of accident cases involved light vehicles, followed closely bytruck accidents at about 40%.

Records have also confirmed that about 66% of accidents have taken placebetween 1200 1800 hours with about 24% taking between 1800 hours tomid-night.

517 (420 male, 97 female) people have died and 2306 (1798 male, 508female) were injured over a period of nine years between 1997 and 2005.

258 cases involving pedestrian accidents were recorded during the period1997-2005 with 256 hit and run cases.

Requested information StatusTotal number of road fatalities,number of serious injuries, numberof road accidents

Statistics as inAttachmentB

Pedestrian deaths (per head ofpopulation and 10,000 vehicles)

258 cases recorded during 1997-2005. Nopedestrian deaths have been recorded in the ruralareas

Motor cyclist deaths (per number ofmotorcycles)

Not available

Road accident deaths of children

less than 5 years

Not available

Fleet Safety Records of public orprivate organizations (e.g. deathsper 100,000 km)

Not available

2. Government policyNational road safety policy,strategy, plan of action and/orpriority areas

National Road Safety policy, strategies and plansare covered in the draft National Transport Policywhich will be finalized shortly. Relevant abstract isprovided inAttachment C

Designated lead agency The lead agency responsible for transport safety isthe Road Safety & Transport Authority (RSTA)

under the Ministry of Information &Communications. The Traffic Branch of theRoyal Bhutan Police is actively involved inenforcement

Amount of financial and humanresources allocated to road safetyissues, sources of financing roadsafety (road funds, road safety

Financial allocation for safety initiatives currentlystands at about 8.33% of the budget allocated toRSTA. About 24% of employees in RSTA areinvolved in transport safety related activities.


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levies or insurance premiums) Road safety fund is non-existent at the moment,and as a result, the entire financing comes fromthe regular budget of the Ministry of Finance.

National road safety reports orimpact evaluation reports of

government programmespublished?

No such reports have been published yet, exceptthe annual statistics related to motor vehicle

accidents.

Overall road safety target of thegovernment?

Road safety target are geared towards:) educating and training drivers of public

transport vehicles such as passenger buses,taxi and trucks

) awareness campaign to urban residents,particularly the school children

) Promoting safe driving habits among youngdrivers

) Achieving better, fair and consistentenforcement of transport regulations

) Developing professionalism and training ofenforcement officials

Involvement of private sector? Direct involvement of the private sector in thisinitiative is non-existent, except for one privatedriving training school.

National road safety statusa) Road usersLaws on helmet and seat wearing,and compliance

The Road Safety & Transport Act 1999 makes itcompulsory for the driver and the pillion rider tousehelmet. Compliance rate is good.

On the wearing of seat belt, although theregulations make it a requirement to use seat belt,most drivers or the occupants choose not to use it.Continuous efforts are being made to educatedrivers on the benefits of using seat belt.Older vehicles which are not equipped with seatbelt at the factory are exempt from the requirementto use seat belt or install one.Trucks and buses do not come with seat belts fittedfrom the factory.

Mandatory to keep motorbike front-

lights on during the day? Howprevalent is it?

This practice is non-existent

(Survey) information on helmet use,seat belt use and use of childrestraints.

No formal research has been undertaken toascertain the actual benefits of using helmet, seatbelt or the child restraints. Helmets have proven tobe beneficial. However, there are mixed opinionson the use of seat belts. Seat belts are definitelyuseful in plain roads but not as much in the hilly or


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mountainous terrain.Road safety education part ofschool curriculum?

Very basic road safety rules are taught in schoolsat the primary level

Drinking and driving (informationfrom surveys, not prosecutions)?

While the Act does not permit driving if the levelof alcohol in their blood exceeds 0.08 grams per

100 mm in case of general drivers and with anyconcentration of alcohol in their blood in case ofdriving a taxi, medium or heavy vehicle,enforcement has been rather loose in the absenceof testing devices. As a result, prosecution as aresult of drink driving is low because of problem inproviding legal evidence. However, breathalyzersare being procured to enforce this regulation.

RoadsPolicy and practice regardingplanning/design, hazardous

locations improvement, includingroad safety audits

Based on the feedback received from road usersand accident records, improvement of hazardous

locations are undertaken by the Department ofRoads. However, not all such locations can becorrected due to shortage of fund. Road safetyaudits have recently been initiated and it has notyet become fully functional

National and local programmes toprovide separate/secure road spacefor pedestrians and cyclist

No separate lane for cyclist, since the terrain doesnot permit wide use of bicycle. Foot paths arehowever, provided in most urban centers. Theseare developed in line with the approved townplans.

Programmes to make roads

forgiving by removing orcushioning roadside obstacles

Not sure

VehiclesNumber of passenger cars, busesand trucks, motor cycles and 3-wheelers

Information provided inAttachment D. 3 wheelersdo not operate because of terrain

Technical safety requirements fornew vehicles (in line with UNECErecommendations)?

The Regulation provides for mandatory inspectionof new vehicles at the time of requesting firstregistration and these are certified forroadworthiness

Details of periodic inspection of

vehicles (obligatory/prevalent)?

It is mandatory for commercial vehicles (trucks,

passenger buses and taxis) to undergoroadworthiness test once every six months.For other category of vehicles, roadworthinesstests are carried out once every year.The above are mandatory and violators arepenalized.

Systems and cooperationNational computerized) database? Basic information on vehicle and drivers are


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Provides information on thelocation of accidents?

computerized, whereas information on thelocations of accidents are not available on-line.

Which alcohol tests are allowed forprosecution (e.g. breathalyzer tests,behavioral tests such as walking

along a straight line)?

Use of breathalyzers is not so common due to theshortage of such devices. Hence, onlycircumstantial evidence, usually that of the

enforcement agency investigating the accident andwitnesses are accepted as proof of alcohol use forthe purpose of prosecution.

Geographical coverage ofemergency assistance system forroad victims

These are normally determined by the extent ofcoverage of the respective police stations and fieldoffices of the Road Safety & Transport Authority.Rescue takes longer time in certain remotelocations.

Asian Highway road safety statusand trendsRoad safety actions specifically

targeting the Asian Highway ortrunk roads in general?

The road sector within Bhutan that is designated

as the Asian Highway Network is currently beingwidened to meet the AH standard. Safety featuresof the AH Network are also being incorporatedaccordingly. Double-laning of this AH road sectoris expected to be completed by 2010.

Road safety related grants or loansfrom international sources?

None, as of now

Trends in road safety on the AsianHighway (fatalities/accidents onAH sections):

The AH sector of the road network is the busiest inthe country. More than 850 vehicle move daily inboth the directions on this road against thedesigned capacity of about 100 vehicles daily.

Over 75% of accidents have taken place in thisroad sector during 2005

Road safety data filesa) With respect to the AH section data

Not available for this sector alone

b) With respect to National level dataMotor Accident data are maintained but these require greater streamlining. Data areoften not so reliable or complete. Many vital information are often left unrecorded,thereby making it difficult to analyze the causes for preventive measures. Correct

investigations of accidents are similarly hindered in the absence of equipment andtrained professionals.


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Attachment A

Road sector development plans and programs

1. Expenditure in the road sector:

The major programs/activities of the Roads Sector during the currentfive year plan (July 2002-June 2007) are:

a) Construction of 295 km of new roads including realignment ofselected stretches of major highways

b) Improvement of existing highways (widening of carriageway widthto 5-6 m, improvement of blind curves, strengthening ofpavement, etc)

c) Reconstruction / strengthening of highway bridgesd) Resurfacing of the existing roadse) Routine maintenance of existing roads and bridges, andrestoration of monsoon damagesExpenditure (in million Nu.1) for road works are as indicated below:

Activities FY 2003-042 FY 2004-05 FY 2005-063

1. Road construction 247.44 224.03 303.122. Road improvement

works65.857 87.447 82.68

3. Bridge construction 645.852 46.090 46.1554. Road resurfacing 67.700 232.362 371.2905. Routine maintenance 92.779 87.669 90.2246. Monsoon restoration 55.020 59.280 110.8187. Miscellaneous road

works33.992 64.976 20.700

1 45 Nu. =1 US Dollar as of 24 April 20062 Financial year (FY) runs from July 1 to June 30 of every year3 Tentative allocation


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2. Tentative future funding requirement for the next cycle of thefive year plan (July 2007 June 2012):

S.No. Activities Funding projection(in million Nu.)

1 Road construction 6723.3702 Highway carriage widening to 6 m width 1383.360

3 Highway double-laning (part of AsianHighway network, Thimphu-Phuentsholing sector)

1128.960

4 Strengthening of national highway to 30ton capacity

425.600

5 Road improvement works 450.000

6 Bridge construction 1779.500

7 Professional services (Feasibilitiesstudies, investigations, survey and

design etc)

75.000

8 Road resurfacing 1554.000

9 Routine maintenance 858.950

10 Routine and periodic maintenance ofbridges

28.880

11 Bridge strengthening/protection, rivertraining works etc.

50.000

12 Equipment for lab tests, survey andinvestigation

10.000

13 Miscellaneous road works 200.00

Total 14667.620


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Attachment B-1: Motor Vehicle Accident Data (1997 - 2005)

Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Number 196 219 230 266 298 344 318 818 1038

Motor Vehicle Accident Data

196 219 230266 298

344 318

818

1038

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year (1997 to 2005)

Num

ber

Page 10


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Attachment B-2: Other information

Year No. of Fatal

Accidents

No. of

Deaths

No. of

Injured

No. of Hit &

Run Cases

2000 14 58 263 3

2001 17 51 226 11

2002 13 57 332 10

2003 15 56 320 17

2004 30 73 376 44

2005 22 23 247 77

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Attachment B-3: Motor Vehicle Accidents by causes - 2005

Type of vehicles

Mechanicalfailure

DrunkDriving

Weatherrelated

Unlicenseddriving

Othercauses

Allcauses

Trucks 71 4 47 8 281 411

Buses 3 2 3 0 25 33

Light vehicles 43 28 50 42 374 537

Two wheelers 2 10 1 7 37 57

Total 119 44 101 57 717 1038

% composition 11.46 4.24 9.73 5.49 69.08 100.00

"Other causes" include reckless driving and speeding

Causes of Accident

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Attachment C

ROAD SAFETY POLICY, STRATEGIES AND PLANSAbstract from the Draft Transport Policy

1. VisionAccess to quality transport services by all and implementation of world class roadand air safety standards.

2. MissionEstablish a fully integrated transport and information system which wouldfacilitate the provision of safe, seamless, efficient, and transparent transportsystem in the country that will support government strategies for economic andsocial development and serve the general public, road users and commuters,whilst being environmentally and economically sustainable

3. ObjectivesThe objectives of the surface transport sector development initiatives are to:) Improve access to safe, reliable, efficient, affordable and responsible transport

system in the country;) ensure personal security of commuters and road users;) build an environment within which the transport sector can grow, become

more competitive and is able to assist in achieving national developmentobjectives;

) minimize constraints to the mobility of people, goods and services;) achieve higher level of standard for public service delivery system;) allow customers the choice of public transport;) address the needs of the transport operators, end customers and commuters;) provide investor confidence, increase export competitiveness, reduce transport

costs;) promote an efficient, reliable and responsible freight transport industry

providing services are minimum cost;) Protect environment and promote the use of energy efficient and less polluting

vehicles;) achieve better compliance to law and fair enforcement.

4. Strategiesa) Public Transportb) Freight transportc) Transport Safety & Traffic Managementd) Public service deliveryStrategies with regard to Transport Safety are outlined below:

4.1 Funding


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a) The Government shall provide adequate funding to finance transportsafety and road traffic management activities.

4.2 Road traffic controla) Establish clear demarcation of roles and responsibilities of all enforcement

agencies.b) Give special attention on programs to control speeding, alcohol and drugsrelated offences, and overloading of vehicles.

c) Introduce a national performance incentive scheme for enforcementofficials.

d) Enhance the level of professionalism of enforcement officials throughtraining at different levels and the introduction of a professional bodyresponsible for maintaining standards and professional code of practice.

e) Introduce special programmes to build and improve the level of co-operation between the enforcement agencies and the public.

f) Apply zero rate blood or breath alcohol or drug level to drivers of public

passenger and freight transport vehicles, with compulsory suspension ofthe driving license for repeat offenders related to alcohol and drugs.

4.3 Adjudication of traffic offencesa) Establish a clear coordination mechanism and procedures for speedy and

fair arbitration and effective mechanism for dispute settlement betweenthe traffic control/enforcement and adjudication functions.

4.4 Improvement of road user knowledge, skills and attitudesa) Make available sufficient resources for the enhancement of road user

knowledge, skills and attitudes through media such as radio, television,newspapers, posters, pamphlets to achieve acceptable levels of road trafficquality.

b) Support traffic enforcement programmes by well researched promotionaland motivational programmes, so as to create public understanding of theirresponsibilities, public acceptance and support for their control activities;increase public awareness of the control programmes; and enhance theeffectiveness of the programmes.

c) Develop traffic safety education, regular campaigns and trainingprogrammes aimed at all categories of road users at national, regional andlocal levels and implement according to guidelines.

4.5 Road traffic administration and information systemsa) Maintain current and reliable information in respect of vehicles, their

owners, operators, drivers, accident, offences, convictions etc. in order tomanage road traffic matters effectively and efficiently.

b) Make available standardized database covering transport safety and roadtraffic aspects at all levels according to their functions and their relevancefor planning, monitoring and control purposes.


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c) Pursue internationally harmonized road traffic standards based oninternational norms, particularly those of the United Nations.

4.6 Incident managementa) Enhance accident and rescue management activities, and mandate roads

and traffic authorities to develop, implement and operate incidentmanagement plans, aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency ofthe services rendered, and minimizing response times.

b) Give specific attention to the procedures for management of incidentswhere hazardous substances are involved.

c) Improve co-ordination and co-operation among various parties involved inproviding road traffic related emergency services.

d) Include transport safety as an important element at all phases of planning,design, construction and evaluation processes.

4.7 Vehicle standards

a) Only new vehicles shall be permitted for importation into the country andsuch vehicles shall be properly authenticated by RSTA before registration.b) Develop vehicle standards and devise appropriate vehicle import scheme

in consultation with relevant Ministries/agencies taking into considerationthe type of terrain, climatic condition and availability of spares andmaintenance capabilities locally to achieve better vehicle performance andsafety.

c) Import of vehicles shall be subject to revision of tax and other charges.d) Develop and enforce vehicle emission standards and maintenance

practices by promoting the use of quality fuel to reduce vehicle pollutionand therefore improve air quality.

e) Develop national guidelines for roadworthy scheme and conduct periodictests, with special emphasis on the safety of older vehicles.

f) Give adequate attention to the use of improving vehicle occupantprotection devices such as seat belts and helmets.

5. Transport Safety Plans and Programsi) On-going initiatives

Transport safety programs are fairly limited so far. Some of the currentinitiatives include the following:

Periodical refresher courses for professional drivers (buses and taxis inparticular).

Courses to general category of drivers on Promoting Safe Driving Habits

Surprise highway patrolling for all motor vehicles for traffic violation andother offences.

Regular monitoring of passenger transport services for over-loading andspeeding.

Awareness campaign and safety messages through print and broadcastmedia.


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Special checks on the drivers of commercial and passenger transportvehicles.

Pre-departure inspection for every passenger transport vehicle, focusingon essential safety features.

Workshops on enforcement of Act and Regulations to Motor VehicleInspectors and Traffic Police

Mandatory half-yearly roadworthiness inspection for commercial andpassenger transport vehicles, and annual roadworthiness inspection for allother category of vehicles.

Road safety auditing, while still a new concept, is being pursued in earnestin collaboration with the Department of Roads. Road surveys areundertaken periodically to ascertain the problem areas from transportsafety point of view. The reports are shared with Road Authorities forcorrective measures.

Starting from May 2, 2005, RSTA is enforcing the seat belt regulation onall light vehicles, which are already equipped with seat belts.

The carriageway widths of existing highways are being widened to 5-6meters to allow two vehicles (at least one heavy and one light) to crosseach other.

Safety measures such as crash barriers and reflectors are being installedalong the accident prone sections of various highways.

i) Activities in the pipe-lineIn addition to the on-going activities as listed above, the following programsare in the pipe-line:

Procurement of safety equipment such as portable weighing device(especially for commercial vehicles since over-loading is a major

problem), alcohol testing device, speed guns, and communication facilitiesfor use during emergencies, and search and rescue operation.

Training on search and rescue, and incident management system. Establishment of a regulatory framework for the operation of automobile

workshops, especially from the point of view of vehicle safety.

Possible privatization of roadworthiness scheme to enable the Road Safety& Transport Authority to concentrate on monitoring and enforcement.

iii) Common problems faced in road safety initiatives

Lack of professionalism Lack of required equipment and facilities Inadequate manpower and mobility


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Attachment D-2: Trend in Growth of Motor vehicles by Type

Year

Bus & Trucks Light vehicles 2 wheelers Taxis Others Total2000 2938 7337 7763 770 615 19423

2001 3560 8777 8165 1188 676 22366

2002 3517 10071 8371 1423 920 24302

2003 3799 11428 7507 1560 709 25003

2004 3883 13359 6583 1785 1026 26636

2005 4352 15374 7138 2050 1000 29914

Note:

1. Light vehicles is same as passenger cars

2. "Others" category includes Earth Moving Equipment, Cranes, Road rollers, Fork lifts, CD vehicles etc.3. The figure is exclusive of Defence vehicles

4. 3 wheelers do not exist

Type of Vehicles

Growth in Vehicle Number by Type

010002000300040005000600070008000900010000

11000120001300014000150001600017000

Bus&Tr

ucks

Lightvehicles

2whe

elers

Taxis

Others

Major Category of vehicles

Numb

er

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

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At tachment D-1: Trend in Motor Vehicle Growth

Year No. of Vehicles Increase %

Increase

(year toyear)

1997 13,584

1998 15,629 2,045 13

1999 18,288 2,659 15

2000 19,423 1,135 6

2001 22,366 2,943 13

2002 24,302 1,936 8

2003 25,003 701 3

2004 26,636 1,633 6

2005 29,914 3,278 11

Annual Increase in Motor Vehicles 1997- 2005

13,58415,629

18,28819,42322,366

24,30225,003

26,636

29,914

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Year (1997-2005)

NumberofVehicle

s

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Bhutan Statuspaper