Transport & Logistics
From The Report: Colombia 2019
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Notable progress has been made in expanding the country’s road system, and increasing port and air transport capacity. Furthermore, new projects are set to increase the transit of goods along Colombia’s railways and rivers. Rising investment in these segments has boosted the competitiveness of the country and contributed to growth. Nevertheless, Colombia faces high logistics costs and ongoing bottlenecks to connectivity. The transport infrastructure gap is large and set to grow further as demand rises. Significant investment will be needed across the sector to close this gap and ensure that the country can sustain its economic development. While this presents a challenge, the country stands to benefit from its mature public-private partnership framework and openness to foreign direct investment. Leveraging private sector expertise and investment within the framework of a long-term national strategy presents a promising formula for an integrated transport network. This chapter contains an interview with Ángela María Orozco Gómez, Minister of Transport.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Private sector activity is being harnessed to provide an: integrated system of transport infrastructure Going places
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Despite slowing regional and global growth, Colombia saw its GDP rise 2.7% in 2018, up from 1.4% in 2017, according to the IMF. An important driver of this expansion of the economy has been rising investment in the transport and logistics sector. While the majority of investment comes from the private sector, state investment has also risen, increasing steadily from 0.6% of GDP in 2003 to 2% in 2013, before reaching nearly 3% in 2018. Colombia has made considerable progress in the expansion…

Interview

Integrated approach: Ángela María Orozco Gómez, Minister of Transport, on boasting the efficiency of transport infrastructure
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Interview:Ángela María Orozco Gómez What challenges does Colombia’s urban transport face, and what is being done to overcome them? ÁNGELA MARÍA OROZCO GÓMEZ: The biggest challenge we face under our current urban mobility model is sustainability. Many of the projects in progress were designed with the assumption that they would be self-sustainable, which has not been the case, resulting in operational issues. Additionally, a number of projects were awarded without the necessary planning…

Analysis

Increased transparency and financial diversification help the: road programme get back on track Take the high road
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The Fourth Generation (4G) road infrastructure programme forms a central part of the government’s strategy to integrate the transport infrastructure and link industrial centres to major ports. However, the plan, which originally envisioned the construction and rehabilitation of 7000 km of new roads and over 40 highway projects, has experienced delays. These have largely occurred as the result of economic slowdown, the mismanagement of some projects and financing issues. Nevertheless, with…

Analysis

Cities are seeking to combat congestion and pollution through: digitalisation and green public transport A breath of fresh air
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Colombian cities are currently home to close to 80% of the country’s population, with the number expected to reach 83.4% in 2035, according to the National Administrative Department of Statistics. Despite efforts to develop efficient public transport solutions, rising urbanisation rates and increasing demand have outstripped supply, contributing to congestion and air pollution. City authorities have traditionally attempted to deal with these issues through a combination of investment in…