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A well functioning air transport sector offers significant economic development benefits, particularly for landlocked, isolated and low-population-density countries. However, the sector often has performance and fiscal risks which need to be carefully managed by governments. While contributing to development and poverty alleviation the sector has the potential to be fully financially self sustaining and the Government role can be primarily focused on safety and security regulation along with their standard role in competition policy (and economic regulation, if any).

A new family of technologically advanced approaches¾ Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)¾ is emerging to address many of today's traffic challenges. ITS applies information and communication technologies to traffic problems and is part of the global spread of Information Technology (IT). During the past ten years, countries around the world have begun to employ a new set of approaches and technologies to meet the challenges of surface transportation. In addition, the introduction of ITS applications in developing countries has contributed to the mitigation of many traffic problems. There are, however, numerous traffic challenges remaining that can benefit from the application of ITS.

Today in Japan there are more than 700 road stations (michinoeki) Their positive impact on local economies, job creation, provision of public services for the local community (such as health care, education and training, and cultural activities) and regional integration is evident throughout the country. In these new guidelines, the Bank has brought together more than ten years of successful Japanese experience and selected practical work in client countries in East Asia and Africa. The established guidelines of michinoeki discuss the michinoeki concepts adjusted to developing countries and provide specific advice on the planning, design and operations of these facilities in developing countries.

The World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention¾jointly issued on World Health Day 2004 by the World Health Organisation and the World Bank¾highlights the growing public health burden of road deaths and injuries in low and middle-income countries. Multi-language summaries of the Report, together with other news and events in connection with this important day, are available at the WHO Web site.
The full text of this publication is also available in French (PDF 5.6MB)