Transportation in Panama
Encyclopedia
Transport
in Panama
is fairly well developed. The majority of the trips are done by car while a great part in public transport. The public transportation system is in need of modernization and other improvements.
Railways
Main articles: Rail transport in Panama
, Panama Railway
total:
355 km
broad gauge
:
0 km gauge (2000) converted to standard gauge
standard gauge
:
76 km gauge (2000) converted from broad gauge
narrow gauge:
279 km gauge (No longer in service)
from since Costa Rica uses gauge)
Colombia
- no
A July 5, 2008 meeting between Venezuela, Colombia
and Ecuador regarding a railway for freight and passengers to link the three countries, and the Pacific ocean with the Atlantic ocean was held.
total:
11,258 km
paved:
3,783 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved:
7,475 km (1999 est.)
Highways are somewhat well developed for Central America. In Panama City are 6 highways working being that the Panama-Arraijan Bridge of the Americas
, Panama-Arraijan Centennial Bridge
, Arraijan-Chorrera, Corredor Norte, Corredor Sur, and Autopista Alberto Motta
Panama's roads, traffic and transportation systems are generally safe, but traffic lights often do not exist, even at busy intersections. Driving is often hazardous and demanding due to dense traffic, undisciplined driving habits, poorly maintained streets, and a lack of effective signs and traffic signals. On roads where poor lighting and driving conditions prevail, night driving is difficult. Night driving is particularly hazardous on the old Panama City – Colon highway.
Buses and taxis are not always maintained in a safe operating condition due to lack of regulatory enforcement. Since 2007, auto insurance is mandatory in Panama. Traffic in Panama moves on the right, and Panamanian law requires that drivers and passengers wear seat belts.
Flooding during the April to December rainy season occasionally makes city streets impassable and washes out some roads in the interior of the country. In addition, rural areas are often poorly maintained and lack illumination at night. Such roads are generally less traveled and the availability of emergency roadside assistance is very limited. Road travel is more dangerous during the rainy season and in the interior from Carnival through Good Friday. Carnival starts the Saturday prior to Ash Wednesday and goes on for four days.
Waterway
800 km navigable by shallow draft
vessels
; 82 km Panama Canal
Atlantic Ocean
total:
5,005 ships ( or over) totaling /
ships by type: (June 2005 Update est.)
note:
a flag of convenience
registry; includes ships from 71 countries among which are (2005 update)
Foreign Owned Ships:
4,388
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 28 (2006 est.)
total:
64
914 to 1,523 m:
11
under 914 m:
53 (2006 est.)
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
is fairly well developed. The majority of the trips are done by car while a great part in public transport. The public transportation system is in need of modernization and other improvements.
RailwaysRail transportRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
Main articles: Rail transport in PanamaRail transport in Panama
Since 1974, the only functioning railroad in Panama is Panama Canal Railway Company, successor of Panama Railway - the oldest transcontinental railroad in the world. It provides passenger and freight service between Panama City and Colón...
, Panama Railway
Panama Railway
The Panama Canal Railway Company is a railway line that links the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean across Panama in Central America. It is jointly owned by the Kansas City Southern Railway and Mi-Jack Products...
total:
355 km
broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
:
0 km gauge (2000) converted to standard gauge
standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
:
76 km gauge (2000) converted from broad gauge
narrow gauge:
279 km gauge (No longer in service)
Railway links to adjacent countries
(from North to South) Costa Rica - no (there was a break-of-gaugeBreak-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
from since Costa Rica uses gauge)
Colombia
Transport in Colombia
Transport in Colombia is regulated by the Ministry of Transport.Road travel is the main means of transport; almost 70 percent of cargo is transported by road, as compared with 27 percent by railroad, 3 percent by internal waterways, and 1 percent by air. Nevertheless, Colombia has one of the lowest...
- no
- FERISTSAFERISTSAFERISTSA was the name of a proposed USD $3 billion privately owned commercial railroad going from the Panama Canal Railway Company through the entire length of Central America, linking with Mexico's rail system at the Guatemala border, and thus to the United States of America.- Description :The...
Railway was proposed to connect Mexico with Panama.
A July 5, 2008 meeting between Venezuela, Colombia
Transport in Colombia
Transport in Colombia is regulated by the Ministry of Transport.Road travel is the main means of transport; almost 70 percent of cargo is transported by road, as compared with 27 percent by railroad, 3 percent by internal waterways, and 1 percent by air. Nevertheless, Colombia has one of the lowest...
and Ecuador regarding a railway for freight and passengers to link the three countries, and the Pacific ocean with the Atlantic ocean was held.
Road system
total:
11,258 km
paved:
3,783 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved:
7,475 km (1999 est.)
Highways are somewhat well developed for Central America. In Panama City are 6 highways working being that the Panama-Arraijan Bridge of the Americas
Bridge of the Americas
The Bridge of the Americas is a road bridge in Panama, which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Completed in 1962, at a cost of US$20 million, it was the only non-swinging bridge connecting the north and south American land masses until the opening of the Centennial Bridge in 2004...
, Panama-Arraijan Centennial Bridge
Centennial Bridge
- Canada :* Centennial Bridge, in Chatham, New Brunswick- United States of America :* Rock Island Centennial Bridge, which connects Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa...
, Arraijan-Chorrera, Corredor Norte, Corredor Sur, and Autopista Alberto Motta
Panama's roads, traffic and transportation systems are generally safe, but traffic lights often do not exist, even at busy intersections. Driving is often hazardous and demanding due to dense traffic, undisciplined driving habits, poorly maintained streets, and a lack of effective signs and traffic signals. On roads where poor lighting and driving conditions prevail, night driving is difficult. Night driving is particularly hazardous on the old Panama City – Colon highway.
Buses and taxis are not always maintained in a safe operating condition due to lack of regulatory enforcement. Since 2007, auto insurance is mandatory in Panama. Traffic in Panama moves on the right, and Panamanian law requires that drivers and passengers wear seat belts.
Flooding during the April to December rainy season occasionally makes city streets impassable and washes out some roads in the interior of the country. In addition, rural areas are often poorly maintained and lack illumination at night. Such roads are generally less traveled and the availability of emergency roadside assistance is very limited. Road travel is more dangerous during the rainy season and in the interior from Carnival through Good Friday. Carnival starts the Saturday prior to Ash Wednesday and goes on for four days.
WaterwayWaterwayA waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
s
800 km navigable by shallow draftDraft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
vessels
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
; 82 km Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
- Manzanillo (part of Colon area)
- Coco SoloCoco SoloCoco Solo was a United States Navy submarine base established in 1918 on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Panama Canal Zone, near Colón, Panama....
Merchant marine
total:
5,005 ships ( or over) totaling /
ships by type: (June 2005 Update est.)
|
LNG carrier An LNG carrier is a tank ship designed for transporting liquefied natural gas . As the LNG market grows rapidly, the fleet of LNG carriers continues to experience tremendous growth.-History:... 183 Passenger ship A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is... s 42 Passenger ship A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is... 77 |
Reefer (ship) A refrigerator ship is a type of ship typically used to transport perishable commodities which require temperature-controlled transportation, mostly fruits, meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products and other foodstuffs.... 298 Ferry A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services... 256 Barge A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats... carrier 1 |
note:
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...
registry; includes ships from 71 countries among which are (2005 update)
|
People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... 193 Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... 103 United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... 116 Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... 78 Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... 53 |
Foreign Owned Ships:
4,388
|
|
|
|
Airports - with paved runways
total: 53over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 28 (2006 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total:
64
914 to 1,523 m:
11
under 914 m:
53 (2006 est.)