A comparison of freight transport operations in Tanzania and Indonesia

Previous research has revealed that road freight transport costs in Francophone Africa were in the region of four to five times the costs of freight transport in Pakistan. To investigate further the differences in freight transport efficiency and costs between Africa and Asia new surveys were carried out in Tanzania and Indonesia. This report presents findings from these surveys together with comparative data from Pakistan. The results suggest that in Tanzania long distance freight transport tariff rates and overall tariff revenues per tonne-km are between two to five times those of Indonesia and Pakistan for different vehicle types and load weight categories. The report identifies a range of factors contributing to these differences including disparities in input prices, utilisation, load factors, fuel efficiency and maintenance practices. A range of suggested measures are proposed to help improve efficiency and reduce transport costs. (A)