Advantages Of Road Transport In Mauritius

Presently, in Mauritius, road is the sole means for the transport of goods and passengers. Road transport in Mauritius has gone through a remarkable phase of improvement resulting in the construction of new motorways and improvements of present roads. But still due to a continuous increase in the number of car ownership and a limited travel options in terms of public transportation services, Mauritius is facing considerable road congestion during peak hours in and around its capital, Port- Louis. To overcome this, the government has introduced the Light Rail Transit, a public transportation from the capital city to the centre of the island, a distance of roughly 26Km. The LRT would have some 13 stations; many located in town centers and

The capital costs of the LRT can vary greatly, depending on the need of new technologies; whether the system is separated or integrated into existing road infrastructure. To implement this, a typical cost range of RS40 billion is being discussed. While during the construction phase, the LRT will likely to have a higher capital costs than a bus system because of infrastructures requirements. But still this system has ongoing cost benefits with its ability to move more passengers per hour. Furthermore as far as the operating costs are concerned, the LRT is able to achieve greater asset utilization than buses on high intensity transport corridors as each light rail has the ability to link vehicles together to double the capacity of carrying passengers. In addition, light rail vehicles have a service life expectancy of 30 years and beyond, almost double that of buses, thereby making it highly cost efficient. Light Rail also has the potential to stimulate associated investment activity like renewal projects and residential and commercial development as many academic studies have shown that commercial and residential property values can be higher when the properties are close to a Light Rail station. Economic development from Light Rail doesn 't occur for free, however. Millions of tax revenues are used to cover the construction and operating costs of Light

Consequently some people, especially those living in the south of the island may face transport problem to go to the capital as the LRT will not be available in the south. If most people opt for the Light Rail voyages then there may be a monopoly of light rails and this may trigger the disappearance of some means of transportation. The cost and maintenance may well be very high depending on the type of LRT being implemented; electricity powered or diesel powered and if it is electricity powered, ultimately the government will face a considerable increase in the consumption of electricity. Finally, it would also be difficult for the government to control the free transport scheme for students, handicaps and retired