This technical assistance advances
- Bhutan's Nationally Determined Contribution and its strategy for promotion of low carbon transport systems.
- Transport development and management goals of the Department of Transport as envisaged in the Bhutan Transport 2040: Integrated Strategic Vision and the 11th Five Year Plan of the Department.
- Sustainable Development Goals:
- 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- 11: Sustainable cities and communities
- 13: Climate action
Context
The transport sector in Bhutan is characterized by the dominance of road transport and accounts for the highest energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Bhutan, at 44%. The number of vehicles is also growing at 9-10% per annum and the consumption of petroleum products for surface transport is likely to grow 3 times the current level of petroleum product consumption by 2020. There are over 68,744 vehicles in the country as of September 2014. Out of this only a meagre 1% comprises of public passenger buses. There has been a significant shift from public transport to private vehicles as seen in the rate of registered vehicles on roads. This figure is expected to further increase in the coming years. Bad road quality and difficult terrain which hinders road expansion also adds to complications in managing transport. As the public transport system is not adequate, taxis and personalized vehicles serve the travel needs of the majority. This has resulted in traffic congestion and an increase in vehicular emissions.
CTCN Support
CTCN facilitated a South-South collaboration between National Designated Entities (NDEs) of Thailand and Bhutan, together with partner UNEP DTU Partnership, through a workshop that provided Bhutan’s participants with an overview of Thai experiences in Bangkok and Chiang Mai regarding public and intelligent transport systems, by experts from Thai private and public agencies. Through practical examples and case studies, the workshop enhanced participants’ knowledge on relevant technologies. The participants were also taken to field visits to observe the application of Thailand’s intelligent transport management systems and public transport systems, and to gain an opportunity to interact with experienced officials and engineers. The purpose of the CTCN assistance was to:
- Develop and deliver public transport management training for application of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), for public transport officials and managers
- Provide training to enable access to climate financing for implementation of ITS
- Provide training in climate change, vehicular emissions and use of emissions testing equipment
- Provide guidance on relevant technologies
For more detailed information on this techology transfer, please refer to original project documents under the Documents tab below.
Key technology addressed
Expected Impact
Immediate impact
- Strengthening transport department and its personnel in acquiring necessary skills and resources for implementation and management of Intelligent Transport Systems.
Long-term impact
- Revamping of public transport system with improved efficiency through use of appropriate technologies and capacity building of relevant managers.
- Reduction in GHG emissions due to promotion, improvement and strategy development for low carbon transport options in the country.
- Mobility of women and children in developing countries is generally limited. The ITS system can help in improving access to transport.
- Co-benefits in terms of reduction in local air pollutants, noise pollution and road collisions, with a positive effect on public health as a result.
