Transport in Mauritius
Encyclopedia
Railways
There are currently no railways in Mauritius. There were previously industrial railways, but these have been abandoned.A railway system existed from 1860s to the 1960s. Due to persistent unprofitability from 1948 to 1953, it was finally closed in 1964.
To cope with increasing road traffic congestion, a Light Rail Transit system has been proposed between Curepipe and Port Louis. As of 2011, it is still in the planning stages.
The proposed system would cover a distance of some 25 km, with some 13 stations, many located in town centres along the route where existing transport terminals already exist. The end-to-end journey time would be approximately 32 minutes and carriages would be air-conditioned. Headways would vary by time of day, but are expected to be of the order of 5 minutes in peak periods. Access to stations would be by an integrated system of comfortable and reliable feeder buses.
History
At the beginning of 1860, the transport of passengers and goods was undertaken by about 2,000 horses, 4,000 donkeys and 4,500 carriages and carts. With the advent of the railways, and later of motorized transport, animal based transport systems declined on the island.In January 1901, the first two seater car, imported by Goupille & Cie, was disembarked. In October of that same year, the Union Regnard sugar estate (Now F.U.E.L) received the first motorized truck of British origin, capable of transporting up to 5 tons.
In 1930, the island had 3016 vehicles, comprising of around 2,401 private cars, 300 taxis, 303 trucks, 92 buses and 220 motorcycles. In 1950, vehicles numbered in the 5,161 and went up to 13,291 in 1960 with the decline of the railways. In 1970, the number of vehicles nearly doubled, going to 25,389 motorised vehicles. This included 12,546 cars, 4,171 trucks, 722 buses and 5,383 motorcycles.
Public transport, in the form of buses, grew in line with the demographic and economic growth of the island. Thus, buses numbered 186 in 1950, 488 in 1960, 722 in 1970 and 1,490 in 1980.
As of June 2011, 392,276 vehicles are registered on the island. 46% of this fleet consists of cars and dual-purpose vehicles and 41% of motorized two-wheelers. The remaining 13% consists of vans, lorries and trucks, buses and other vehicles.
National Transport Authority
The National Transport Authority (NTA) is a governmental department established under the Road Traffic Act in 1980 whose main responsibility is the regulation and control of road transport in Mauritius and Rodrigues. It falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping.The responsibility for the administration of the NTA rests with the Road Transport Commissioner.
The NTA also has a Board constituted under section 73 of the Road Traffic Act. The Board consists of a Chairman appointed by the Minister and 10 other members. It is responsible to hear and decide on
- applications for licenses for the transport of goods and passengers; and
- disciplinary proceedings instituted against transport operators, drivers and conductors of public service vehicles for offences committed under the Act.
The other responsibilities of this governmental department are:
- registration and transfer of ownership of motor vehicles;
- licensing of public service vehicles and goods vehicles as well as petrol service stations;
- collection of road tax and other licence fees;
- examination of motor vehicles as to their road-worthiness;
- licensing of bus conductors;
- enforcement of road transport legislation and monitoring the level of service of public transport;
- enforcement of parking regulations;
- keeping statistics relating to motor vehicles; and
- planning of new transport services.
Road network
For a small island of 1 865 sq km, there are 2 066 km of roads in Mauritius, of which 48.5% are main roads, 28.7% are secondary roads, 3.6% are motorways and the remaining 19.2% are made upof other types of roads. The number of vehicles per km of road is at 177 as of 2009. The bus network is quite extensive and is organized around Port Louis. New air-conditioned buses have been introduced to link Port Louis with the main residential areas of the island.
Bus network
Mauritius has a widespread bus network with around 220 bus lines and roughly 900 bus stops. They are operated by a number of major companies (National Transport CorporationNational Transport Corporation
National Transport Corporation is a parastatal bus operator in Mauritius. The company operates 430 buses. There are 65 bus routes, some of which carry 21,000 passengers daily.-See also:* Mauritius Bus Transport* Rose-Hill Transport* Triolet Bus Service...
, Mauritius Bus Transport, Rose Hill Transport, Triolet Bus Service, United Bus Service, Luna Transport) and various individual operators which are organized in regional Bus Owners Co-operative Societies (BOCS). The bus prices are regulated by the Government of Mauritius. However, there is no such thing as an operator independent ticket which could be used across the island.
Merchant marine
total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 66,004 GRT/
ships by type:
cargo 2, combination bulk 2, container 2, cargo 2
note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience
Flag of convenience
The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...
: Belgium 1, India 3, Norway 1, Switzerland 2 (2002 est.)
History
The first recorded flight, with takeoff from Mauritius, was undertaken on the 2nd June 1922 by Major F.W.Honnet. The plane, a mono-engine biplane, christened Maurice, had come by boat. For the inaugural flight, the land at the Gymkhana, Vacoas was converted into an improvised airport.On the 10th September 1933, two French pilots, Maurice Samat and Paul Louis Lemerle, flew from Reunion Island to Mauritius on a Potez 43
Potez 43
|-See also:-References:*Marian Krzyżan: "Międzynarodowe turnieje lotnicze 1929-1934", Warsaw 1988, ISBN 83-206-0637-3 * at Aviafrance-External links:*...
plane called Monique. The pilots landed in Mon-Choisy in the north of the island. On the 4th October of the same year, a Mauritian pilot, Jean Hily, took off from Mon-Choisy for Réunion island. However, he never made it and was lost at sea.
Thus, for some years that followed, the Mon-Choisy strip was used as an airport for the rare airplanes that landed on the island.
However, in 1942, with the entry of Japan into the Second World War, the island gained a strategic importance in the Indian Ocean and thus the British government hastily built a new airport in the south of the island at Plaisance
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport , known as SSR Airport or previously as Plaisance Airport, is an international airport serving the island country of Mauritius. The airport is located at Plaine Magnien, near Plaisance and southeast of Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius...
. On the 24th November 1943, the first military airplane, a Dakota of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(R.A.F) coming from Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
with a stopover at Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, landed in Plaisance.
In 1945, with the end of the war, the airport was opened to the civil aviation. Thus, on the 10th February of that year, a Junker 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
of the Réseau des Liaisons Aériennes Francaises (R.L.A.F), later known as Air France, landed in Plaisance.
Thus, as from 1945, the R.L.A.F operated the Paris-Mauritius line. The journey of 6 days and 7 stops included Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
and Reunion island.
In 1946, the R.A.F handed over the Plaisance airport to the Mauritian authorities.
Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
became the first commercial aviation company to come to Mauritius. As from 1947, it’s DC4, transporting 44 passengers, undertook the Paris-Mauritius in 3 days, including night time flight, with 12 stops in between.
The following year, the British company SkyWays initiated a weekly flight on the Plaisance-Nairobi line. The introduction of Boeings as from 1961 sensibly reduced the travel time on this line.
Even if Mauritius was a British colony, the British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(B.O.A.C) began to come to Mauritius only from 1962. The Mauritius-London itinerary took 26 hours, with 4 stops.
In 1967, a Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
, capable of carrying 160 passengers was introduced on the Paris-Mauritius line, decreasing the travel time to 18 hours.
Initially, Mauritian civil and commercial aviation developed under the impulsion of Rogers & Co Company. The aviation department within Rogers was created by Amédée Maingard
Amédée Maingard
Amédée Maingard was born in Mauritius, then a British colony.During World War II he served with distinction with the British special services supporting the French resistance, and was awarded medals by the British and French governments.After the war he returned to Mauritius and became a...
on his return from the Second World War.
In June 1967, the national company, Air Mauritius
Air Mauritius
Air Mauritius Limited, stylised as Air Mauritius, is the flag carrier of Mauritius. The airline is headquartered at the Air Mauritius Centre in Port Louis, Mauritius. Its main base is Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport...
was created. The Mauritian government, British Airways, Air France and Air India were the initial stakeholders in this initiative, with Rogers an active supporter. Amédée Maingard became the first president of Air Mauritius and Jean Ribet the general manager.
In December 1972, Air Mauritius landed a Piper-Navajo
Piper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
(twin-engined plane of 6 places), rented from Air Madagascar, in Rodrigues
Rodrigues
Rodrigues is a common surname in the Portuguese language. It was originally a Patronymic, meaning Son of Rodrigo or Son of Rui. The "es" signifies "son of". The name Rodrigo is the Portuguese form of Roderick, meaning "famous power" or "famous ruler", from the Germanic elements "hrod" and "ric" ,...
. Then, as from 1975, a Havilland Twin Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
of 16 places was used on the Mauritius-Rodrigues route.
Airports
Total (Including main island and dependencies): 5 (2010)International Airport (Mauritius island): Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport , known as SSR Airport or previously as Plaisance Airport, is an international airport serving the island country of Mauritius. The airport is located at Plaine Magnien, near Plaisance and southeast of Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius...
Airports - with paved runways
Total: 2 (2010)Over 3,047 m: 1 (Mauritius island, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport , known as SSR Airport or previously as Plaisance Airport, is an international airport serving the island country of Mauritius. The airport is located at Plaine Magnien, near Plaisance and southeast of Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius...
)
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (Rodrigues island, Plaine Corail)
Airports - with unpaved runways
Total: 3 (2010)914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1