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| Sunday, 7 November 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The mystery of the Asian Highway Prof. C. Suriyakumaran, Former United Nations Deputy Executive Secretary
A couple of months ago at the top Ministerial Conference of BIMST (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lankan, Thailand) with Sri Lanka represented by Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the newspapers flashed a highlevel decision to launch an Asian Highway Network through their Countries, extending eventually as a full fledged Asian Network. Although surprised very much at this being proclaimed as a pioneering, leadership project, as an old United Nations person myself I let it go, by imagining that the description was not meant to be complete. However just a few days ago, I found the usually discreet and methodical Milinda Moragoda pointing to this recent BIMST Highway Network as a great initiative, his particular interest being of course the Sri Lankan linkage along with the more recent land Bridge concept of the UNP. This was too much to see - not least for what BIMST and our Foreign Minister were really meaning or stating at this recent BIMST Conference. The stark facts are that this great Asian Highway Network is almost as old as a generation earlier, initiated by the United National Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East as the Asian Highway Project in 1959, covering 53,000 kilometres, and 14 countries from the border of Turkey right through from Iran to Singapore and ending in Indonesia. Now that the current imagination on this Highway has reached the above mentioned curious stage, perhaps the best way is to set down 'in exact copy' a brief account of this great project. opened for use in the sixties with a great Asian Highway Motor Rally across the entire route, which also broke down transit barriers along the way between countries not even on talking terms with each other. The 25th anniversary volume of the Economic Commission published in 1972 portrayed the project with detailed flip style road maps for actual road users. One would very much welcome- and I am sure Milinda Moragoda too would - being educated by Lakshman Kadirgamar, or others concerned, as to what this 'new' Highway is all about. The Task is to pursue the old project, upgrade it in all ways as described then, including a link to what was then called Ceylon, and get on with the serious job of serving our country and ourselves. As for these, it is interesting that when I requested our UNDP Res Rep here to convey an offer to the Government of the day a sum of US $10 Million to complete a Circular Roadway around Ceylon, linking to the A2 Spur road coming down to Cape Comerin, it was met with a stony silence - perhaps also losing our opportunity to have built that other Inter-Communal 'bridge' we are running for right now! But that is how we have been always with only a hope that it may, at least now, be different. To go back to Kadirgamar and The Asian Highway, as an 'Old hand', I shall clearly wish to know it! The Asian Highway is the realisation of an ancient dream of man: a trade route from east to west across Asia. The route crosses vast plains and deserts, passes between some of the highest mountains in the world, bridges, wide rivers, and retraces old caravan routes. The Asian Highway project, calling for a network of 63,000 kilometres covering fourteen countries, grew out of a 1959 decision of ECAFE and the efforts of the co-operating Governments: Afghanistan, Burma, Ceylon, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Khmer Republic, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Republic of Viet-Nam, Singapore and Thailand. First stage completed The target for the first stage, which coincided with the end of the First United Nations Development Decade in 1970, was to provide at least one through-route from east to west connecting as many countries as possible and equipped with suitable links to other countries not lying along this route. This target has almost been achieved, and it is now possible to travel freely from Tehran to Dacca in the western section and from Vientiane to Singapore and beyond to Denpasar in the eastern section by using a sea ferry service between Singapore and Djakarta. Almost all the Asian Highway member countries are now accessible by the Asian Highway routes. During the second stage, coinciding with the Second United Nations Development Decade, the main emphasis is on filling the remaining gaps, upgrading the substandard sections, and improving road services sufficiently to make highway transport economically beneficial. Besides good roads, it is important to provide the necessary facilities along the way, such as fuel distribution stations, hotels and motels, workshop facilities, first aid posts and telecommunication facilities, and to ease the frontier formalities at the borders. The important sections which are still unavailable to traffic comprise parts of (1) route A-2 in Burma and Nepal, (2) route A-1 in Burma, (3) a part of route A-3 in Laos and (4) some parts of route A-25 in Indonesia. Work on several of these sections shows good progress. Role of ECAFE In 1965, ECAFE set up the Asian Highway Co-ordinating Committee at ministerial level to assist development of the project. Three years later, UNDP provided institutional support to that Committee in the form of a Transport Technical Bureau (TTB). ECAFE worked out a plan of action to generate interest and promote financing for the Asian Highway project which will have far-reaching effects in improving the economy and well-being of the peoples of Asia. Upto 1968, an estimated US $900 million had been spent on the Asian Highway system by the countries concerned, using their own resources and aid on a bilateral basis. As traffic increases, another US $1,900 million or more may be needed to build more bridges, fill up the remaining gaps, and upgrade the routes to meet higher standards. A faster, better route The Asian Highway provides a faster and shorter route. It would also be far more economical for the commodities to move by land routes between Europe and western parts of Asia rather than by sea via the Cape. For instance, the distance between Tehran and Vienna by land is 4,500 km, as against 17,600 km by sea; Kabul to Vienna is 6,800 km, as against 17,200 km; Islamabad to Vienna is 7,300 km, as against 17,000 km; and Delhi to Vienna is 8,100 km, as against 17,400 km. Diversion of traffic to the roads would also avoid a number of transhipments. National arterial routes and feeders in each country will aid the expansion of agriculture and its marketing, and will give access to the untapped wealth of each country's resources, and increase productivity and trade. Provision of the missing links is not only facilitating the movement of commodities that could not hitherto be profitably transported, but is also opening up currently unknown sources of traffic generation. It is permitting movements of masses of people in the lower-income group. This is likely to be confirmed soon in some sections by the pilot surveys that have been carried out in Afghanistan and Iran. In addition, the Asian Highway is helping to develop regional co-operation and creating better understanding among the nations so that they can co-exist peacefully. International contacts are being re-established; closed national doors are being opened. While the network stretches from Tehran to Singapore and Denpasar, with feeder routes to many countries not on the route, it also links up with European and Middle Eastern highway networks. The routes in each country were selected by a group of experts representing these countries, and although planning began only just over ten years ago, the over-all network is now over 80 per cent motorable in all weather. Priority route A-1, which stretches 10,800 km from Iran to the Republic of Viet-Nam and is one of the most important routes in the network, is 94 per cent complete. It starts at Bazargan (Iran-Turkey border), crosses Iran Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Burma, Thailand the Khmer Republic and the Republic of Viet-Nam, and ends at Saigon. The missing links are mostly in the section lying between India and Thailand where about six major bridges are still to be constructed. Priority route A-2 (12,985 km) starts from Ghasr-i-Shirin (Iran-Iraq border) and passes through Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and after a ferry crossing, Indonesia. The missing links are in Nepal, Burma and a short portion in India. Ninety per cent of route A-2 has been completed. New superhighways are not being built. Existing highways are used where possible. The TTB organises training for highway officials who will pass on their knowledge to the engineers in their own countries. It also helps the countries to develop their testing and quality-control laboratories so as to ensure economy and quality in building and maintaining roads. Asian Highway motor rallies The First Asian Highway Motor Rally, from Vientiane to Singapore, was organised in 1969 to demonstrate the availability of the road for trade and tourist travel. In view of its great success, a second rally from Tehran to Dacca via Kathmandu, run over a much longer distance, was held in November 1970. This presented a stupendous task involving the issuance of visas, easing of frontier formalities (including the reopening of some closed frontiers), etc; but, like the previous rally, it proved highly successful, bringing awareness of the Asian Highway's potentialities to the furthest corners of the countries concerned, for it was witnessed by no less than fifty million people. Motor rallies over the completed sections of the Asian Highway encourage countries to improve their roads and roadside services. Many of the easements to frontier formalities that were arranged for the two rallies have continued to be in force to benefit international traffic. As a result of the first Rally, certain Japanese investors have taken a keen interest in establishing a regular de-luxe coach service between Vientiane (Laos) and Singapore, through Thailand and Malaysia. For the Second Rally, India and Pakistan opened their borders; Iran rebuilt the section between Mashhad and Islam Qula; services were improved in Afghanistan between Herat and Kabul via Kandahar; and some ferry services were improved. A vast potential The Asian Highway is no end in itself, but only a means to an end. It will create conditions conducive to prosperity and better understanding among the peoples of this large continent. In a recent evaluation of the role of the Asian Highway in regional development and co-operation, the Executive Secretary of ECAFE, U. Nyun, commented: "The Asian Highway will contribute to the expansion of national and international trade, stimulate economic development, promote tourism and, above all, facilitate exchanges among the people of the region. By making it possible for the common man and his family to journey to other countries, it will help to establish close contacts among the peoples of all countries in the region and beyond. The system has thus a vast potential for the betterment of the peoples and for bringing them together in a brotherhood of nations". |
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