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Transport in Bhutan
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{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] --> '''Transport in Bhutan''' uses about {{convert|8000|km}} of roads and four [[List of airports in Bhutan|airports]], three of which are operational and interconnected. [[Paro Airport]] is the only airport which accommodates international flights. As part of [[Bhutan]]'s [[Five-Year Plans of Bhutan|infrastructure modernization programs]], its road system has been under development since the 1960s. There are no railways (although one is planned), and as Bhutan is a [[landlocked]] country with no major waterways, there are no ports. ==Road== [[Image:Bhutan highways labeled location map.png|thumb|alt=See caption|Highways of Bhutan<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bhutantrustfund.bt/parks-of-bhutan |title=Parks of Bhutan |work=Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation online |publisher=Bhutan Trust Fund |access-date=2011-07-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702041330/http://www.bhutantrustfund.bt/parks-of-bhutan |archive-date=2011-07-02 }}</ref>]] Bhutan had a total of {{convert|8050|km|abbr=on}} of roads in 2003, {{convert|4991|km|abbr=on}} of which were paved and {{convert|3059|km|abbr=on}} unpaved.<ref name=FB2011>{{CIA World Factbook |article=Bhutan |accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref> Because of the lack of paved roads, travel in Bhutan was by foot or on mule- or horseback until 1961; the {{convert|205|km|mi|adj=on}} trip from the Indian border to [[Thimphu]] took six days. Road construction began in earnest during the First Development Plan (1961–66). The first {{convert|175|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} paved road was completed in 1962. A branch road later linked Paro with the Phuntsholing–Thimphu road, and a jeep track linked [[Thimphu]] and [[Phuntsholing]] with [[Jaigaon]], [[West Bengal]]. Travel time by motor vehicle from the border to Thimphu shrank to six hours. About 30,000 Indian and Nepalese labourers were imported to build the road with Indian aid when India was bolstering its defence against a potential Chinese invasion. Bhutan also provided labour for the construction work. Another road was built to connect [[Trashigang]] with [[Tawang]], [[Arunachal Pradesh]].<ref name=cs>{{Country study |country=Bhutan |abbr=bt |editor=Savada, Andrea Matles |date=1991 |section=Roads |author=Worden, Robert L. |pd=yes}}</ref> [[File:Dragon painting side of pick up truck.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Small dump truck with a dragon painted on the side|Dump truck in Bhutan]] About {{convert|1500|km|mi}} of roads were built by the mid-1970s, largely with manual labour. There was a {{convert|2280|km|mi|adj=on}} road network in 1989; at least {{convert|1761|km|mi}} were paved with [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]], and {{convert|1393|km|mi}} were classified as national highways. Despite the construction of paved roads linking the principal towns in the south, mountainous terrain elsewhere makes travel difficult even from one valley to the next. Most roads run in river valleys. As part of the Sixth Development Plan (1987–92), the Department of Public Works (in cooperation with the Indian Border Roads Organization) made plans to construct and upgrade {{convert|1000|km|mi}} of roads and to extend the road network through Bhutan's five major river valleys by 1992. Driveable roads were not the only important development; as part of the Fifth Development Plan, Bhutan also needed an estimated {{convert|2500|km|mi}} of [[Bridle path|mule tracks]] to connect the country's 4,500 settlements.<ref name=cs/> The country's primary road is the East-West Highway (known locally as the [[Lateral Road]]), which began construction in 1962. The road begins in [[Phuentsholing]] on the southwestern [[India|Indian border]] and ends in [[Trashigang]] in the far east, with spurs to other major centres such as [[Paro, Bhutan|Paro]], [[Thimphu]], and [[Punakha]]. The {{convert|2.5|m|ft|adj=mid|-wide}} Lateral Road must support traffic in both directions, since the cost of cutting a wider road through the middle [[Himalayas]] would be prohibitive. Safety barriers, road markings, and signage are sparse. Traffic is slow, typically about {{convert|15|km/h|abbr=on}}, to minimise head-on collisions. Road accidents are still frequent and, because of the steep topography, typically horrific. Most of the route between [[Paro Airport]] and [[Thimphu]] has been improved as a two-lane road. [[File:Bhutan post bus.jpg|thumb|alt=Small bus with luggage on top|[[Postbus]] running between [[Thimphu]] and [[Phuntsholing]]]] The Lateral Road traverses a number of high passes, including Tremo La and Do Chu La. The highest pass on the road is at [[Chapcha Gewog|Chapcha]]; the second-highest pass is at [[Trumshing La]], in central Bhutan, at an altitude of over {{convert|3800|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name=BO1>{{cite web |url=http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/lo-and-behold-snow-and-cold/ |first=Sonam |last=Pelden |title=Lo and Behold Snow and Cold |publisher=[[Bhutan Observer]] online |date=2008-01-25 |access-date=2011-08-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023190809/http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/lo-and-behold-snow-and-cold/ |archive-date=2011-10-23 }}</ref> Main roads in western and eastern Bhutan are maintained by Dantak, a task force of India's [[Border Roads Organisation]]. Roads in the rest of the country are maintained by the [[Politics of Bhutan|Bhutanese government's]] Department of Roads. Much of the country's geology is unstable and there are frequent [[Fault (geology)#Slip, heave, throw|slips]] and [[landslide]]s, aggravated by the summer [[monsoon]] and winter snowstorms and [[frost heave|frost heaving]]. Teams of Indian labourers are housed at work camps in the mountain passes to clear blocked roads. Conditions in the camps are poor, with workers breaking rocks into [[gravel]] on a [[Piece work|piece-rate basis]] when not clearing the roads. An international aid project is underway to stabilise the worst sections of the road. A major [[Japan]]ese aid project aims to replace most of the narrow, single-track bridges with two-way [[Girder bridge|girder spans]] capable of carrying heavier traffic. Most freight is moved on eight-ton {{convert|300|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} [[Tata Motors|Tata]] trucks, which are often overloaded. There is a network of passenger buses, and the most common vehicle in government and private use is the four-wheel-drive pickup truck. A national driver-licensing system includes a [[driving test]]. Government drivers are trained at the Samthang Vocational Training Institute's driving school (formerly the National Driving Training Institute). The roads have [[traffic light]]s; although a stoplight in Thimphu was dismantled, there are reportedly plans to reinstall it. ==Rail== {{anchor|Proposed rail}} {{main article|Rail transport in Bhutan}} Bhutan has no railways.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://go.worldbank.org/PR19M9SR60 |title=Bhutan–Railway Data |publisher=[[World Bank]] |access-date=2011-07-26}}</ref> On 25 January 2005 the king of Bhutan and the prime minister of India signed an agreement to establish the following the link and initiated the feasibility study. These rail links are listed from west to east and subcategorised by connection to respective states of India:<ref name=rl1/> * [[West Bengal]] state of India: ** [[Banarhat–Samtse line]],<!--NOTE: Retain the red link to encourage article creation.--> ? km: from [[Banarhat]] in India to border town [[Samtse]] in Bhutan.<ref name=rl1>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//pointers-26.html |title=Pointers March 2005 |publisher=[[Railway Gazette International]] online |date=2005-03-01 |access-date=2011-07-26}}</ref> ** "[[Hasimara–Phuentsholing-Pasakha line]]"<!--NOTE: Retain the red link to encourage article creation.--> (Hasimara–Toribari-Pasakha line), ? km long: from [[Hasimara]] to (Toribari)[[Phuentsholing]] and then further 18 km to [[Pasakha]].<ref name=rl1/> In December 2009 the king of Bhutan approved the final plan to build an {{convert|11|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}, {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]] rail link between Hashimara in West Bengal and Toribari in Bhutan. The railway, via Satali, Bharna Bari and Dalsingpara, will be built and owned by [[Indian Railways]].<ref name="times2009">{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6970997.ece| work=The Times| date=2009-12-30 | title=Isolated Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan to get its first railway link| first=Jeremy| last=Page| publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd| access-date=2011-06-10 }}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> * [[Assam]] state of India: ** "[[Kokrajhar–Gelephu line]]",<!--NOTE: Retain the red link to encourage article creation.--> 57 km long: From [[Kokrajhar (town)|Kokrajhar]] in Assam in India to border town of [[Gelephu]] in Bhutan. The survey was completed in April 2023 and construction will be completed by 2026. This will be the first line to be constructed and after that remaining lines will be constructed.<ref name=lh1>[https://www.livehindustan.com/national/story-first-international-train-services-between-india-bhutan-soon-8545172.html रेल में बैठकर जा सकेंगे विदेश, 2026 तक इस खूबसूरत देश तक बिछ जाएगी पटरी, Live Hindustan, 5 aug 2023.</ref><ref name=rl1/> ** [[Pathsala–Nganglam line]],<!--NOTE: Retain the red link to encourage article creation.--> 40 km: from [[Pathsala]] in India to border town Nganglam (Naglam) in Bhutan.<ref name=rl1/> ** [[Rangiya–Darrang–Samdrup Jongkhar line]],<!--NOTE: Retain the red link to encourage article creation.--> 60 km: from [[Rangiya|Rangia]] & Darrang in India to bordertown [[Samdrup Jongkhar]] in Bhutan.<ref name=rl1/> ==Air== {{See also|List of airports in Bhutan}} [[File:Bhutan from above.jpg|alt=the Himalayas in Bhutan, seen from a plane|thumb|The Himalayas, seen on a flight from Delhi to Paro Airport on Drukair<ref name=lifetime/>]] Bhutan has four airports,<ref name=FB2011/> [[Paro Airport|Paro]], [[Bathpalathang Airport|Bathpalathang]], [[Yongphulla Airport|Yongphulla]], and [[Gelephu Airport]]. Paro, the country's only [[international airport]], is in a steep-sided valley with its approaches restricted to [[visual flight rules]]. During the monsoon season, flights are often delayed by cloud cover. [[Drukair]] is the national carrier, connecting Paro with other countries. The airport is one of the highest and most-challenging airports at which to land. Minimal equipment is available to pilots, and special training is required to land in the narrow valley on the short runway. Winds and bad weather may delay or cancel a flight, and the best travel times are April to May and October to November.<ref name=lifetime>{{Cite news|url=http://www.onceinalifetimejourney.com/once-in-a-lifetime-journeys/asia/guide-to-bhutan-everything-you-need-to-know-to-plan-a-trip/|title=Guide to Bhutan: Everything you need to know to plan your trip|date=2016-12-07|work=Once In A Lifetime Journey|access-date=2017-04-10|language=en-US}}</ref> Bathpalathang and Yongphulla are Bhutan's [[domestic airport]]s.<ref>{{cite news | author=Gyalsten K Dorji | title=On Drukair 's historic flight | url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=23385 | work=Kuensel | date=19 December 2011 | access-date=18 January 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211175151/http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=23385 | archive-date=11 February 2012 }}</ref> The [[Royal Bhutanese Government]]'s 10th [[Five-Year Plans of Bhutan|Five-Year Plan]] (2008–13) included the construction of a domestic airport at [[Gelephu]] in [[Sarpang District]].<ref>{{cite news | author=Tshering Palden | title=Domestic air service to take wing soon | url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13325 | work=Kuensel | date=1 September 2009| access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> An international airport was planned for the Gelephu site, but the project's scope was downgraded to a domestic airport in October 2008.<ref>{{cite news | author=Tenzing Lamsang| title=Gelephu Int'l Airport – Now A Domestic One | url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=11282 | work=Kuensel | date=9 October 2008| access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> In January 2010, the [[Bhutanese Department of Civil Aviation]] indicated that the domestic airport at Gelephu may be expanded into an all-weather airport capable of international traffic in the future. Construction was due to begin in late 2010, with the airport commencing operation in June 2011.<ref>{{cite news | author=Sonam Pelden | title=Groundwork begins for taking to the air | url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14428 | work=Kuensel | date=8 January 2010 | access-date=12 February 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305053837/http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14428 | archive-date=5 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | author=Tashi Dema | title=Land hurdle crossed | url=http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=15876 | work=Kuensel | date=25 June 2010| access-date=12 February 2011}}</ref> ==See also== * [[Tourism in Bhutan]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Transport in Bhutan}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.dor.gov.bt/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020310014117/http://www.dor.gov.bt/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2002-03-10 |title=Bhutan Department of Roads |publisher=Ministry of Works & Human Settlement, [[Government of Bhutan]] |access-date=2011-07-26 }} * {{cite web|url=http://www.rsta.gov.bt/ |title=Bhutan Road Safety and Transport Authority (RTSA) |publisher=[[Government of Bhutan]] |access-date=2011-07-26}} {{Asia topic|Transport in}} {{Bhutan topics}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Bhutan}} [[Category:Transport in Bhutan| ]]
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