identification of priority areas for further 

 research and development. 



A further possibility lies in modern 

 communications, which can help modernize rural and 

 village life as well as increase the attractiveness of 

 intermediate-sized cities to business and industry. 

 Some of these possibilities are discussed later in this 

 chapter. 



3. Transportation to Support Goals in Other Sectors 



Industry, agriculture, trade, urban activities, and 

 other elements of the economy depend to an important 

 degree on the availability of various transportation 

 services. Farmers rely on road transport for delivery 

 of their fertilizer and for the marketing of their 

 crops. Coal, iron ore, and other minerals generally 

 move by rail or water; pipelines are playing a larger 

 role in the movement of energy resources; and 

 airplanes, buses, and automobiles are major methods of 

 travel. Ports and merchant shipping provide the major 

 facilities for international trade. 



The basic infrastructure and eguipment needed for 

 transportation absorbs a large proportion of the total 

 public investment in all countries, often as much as 25 

 to 35 percent or more in developing economies. And, 

 since each method of transport is likely to be built 

 and operated independently of the others, the 

 opportunities for waste and inefficiency are great. 

 For example, on main routes, railroads often badly need 

 rehabilitation; there are long delays in the pick-up 

 and delivery of merchandise; cars are often in short 

 supply; terminal delays are long and costly; and 

 business of all kinds suffers as a consequence. 

 Trucking has grown in importance and frequently fills 

 the gap for high- valued commodities, especially 

 manufactured goods and short-haul transport, but roads 

 are often poor, trucks too few, and management 

 unreliable. 



A program for more productive rural living will 

 require all-weather access to farms. Rural areas 

 without roads means that extension workers and improved 

 production techniques are not available to farmers; 

 fertilizers cannot be delivered, or are delivered too 

 late or at too high a cost; produce cannot be marketed 

 or farmers must rely on middlemen who absorb too much 

 of the profit; milk and other produce are sold locally 

 at nonremunerative prices; and trained teachers, 

 doctors, and veterinarians cannot be persuaded to serve 

 the local population. 



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