Planning of National Transport Infrastructure
In the Islamic Countries
16
educational backgrounds and professional alliances. What is certain, is that governance of the
transport sector is in transition constantly aiming to take on board contemporary issues such
climate change, demography, technology and trade.
Beyond planning per se, regulatory issues are pertinent in determining technical standards of
design and of operation. They can and do impact on planning as they provide constraints of
which planners must cognoscente, for example roads require to be user friendly offering drivers
rest areas. Network nodes, links and intermodal interchanges must be designed to provide
certain levels of service. In the regional context, such technical standards do require
harmonization. Lack of intermodality is a serious issue affecting the efficiency of regional
transport and communications systems.
2.3.2. Institutional and Organizational Factors in OIC Countries
At the high end of successful transport sector governance in OIC countries must be the Roads
and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates2. It was founded in 2005 and is
responsible for planning and executing transport and traffic projects, along with legislation and
strategic plans of transportation in the city. Having described the RTA as being independent in
the official description it then goes on to state that RTA is in fact a department of the Government
of Dubai. The RTA is divided into five different agencies or departments namely i) The Public
Transport Agency, ii) Traffic and Roads Agency, iii) Rail Agency, iv) Licensing Agency and v)
Dubai Taxi. The RTA is undoubtedly successful in delivering the ultimate in transportation
services to the residents of Dubai.
Though not exactly at the other end of the scale, Indonesia characterises a less progressive style
of transport sector governance where the Ministry of Transport is responsible for policy, the
Ministry of Public Works and Housing for toll roads and Sea Transport comes under the Ministry
of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Aviation and Railways are autonomous but wholly state-
owned organizations. Despite the portfolio of being responsible for transport policy, no evidence
has been found of there being a National Transport Policy for Indonesia. Surely, Indonesia, more
thanmost countries, due to its dense population and small but highly complex geography, would
benefit from a much more holistic and integrated approach with a national transport authority.
This is exemplified by Joewono and Kubota (2005) who argue for more broader approach to
non-motorised transport (mainly rickshaws) and Dimitriou and Gakenheimer (2011) that speak
to the need for an urban transport and planning authority and then Nugroho et al. (2016)
advocates for a more multimodal approach to freight and logistics arguing for greater use of rail
in the freight transport mix. These and other issues would be better addressed in Indonesia if
transport came under one roof. At the level of infrastructure provision however, Indonesia ranks
52 out of 1373. So in the case of the quantum of infrastructure in relation to the population and
economy is reasonable. The issue is not the scale of the transport network but its effectiveness
in delivering accessibility.
Underlining the need for more integrated approach to transport sector government, Achour and
Belloumi (2016) discuss the inextricable linkages between transport, energy, environment and
2 Available from
3 World Economic Outlook Database, International Monetary Fund, April 2017.