MINISTRY LAUNCHES ANNUAL TRANSPORT STATISTICS

The Ministry launched its Annual Transport Statistics Report in a ceremony at its Maxfield Avenue Office on Monday August 15, 2005. The transport statistics report (2003-2004) was published in fulfillment of the Ministry's newly established statistical function. In delivering the main address State Minister in the Transport Ministry, Dr. Fenton Fergusion said that the unavailability of data, and unreliable or outdated data as well as lack of performance indicators, form a major obstacle to well targeted planning and policy making in almost any field of endeavour. He added that the transportation sector is an essential pillar underpining the economy and on which other sectors rely and that development of an effeicient transportation system required the collection and analysis of data, which are then used in decision making.

The decision to establish a statistics function in the Ministry of Transport and Works had its genisis in the Western Hemisphere Transportation Initiative (WHTI) which was launched in 1996 as part of the activities of the Summit of the Americas. Following this, the Ministers responsible for Transportation met for the first time, under the auspices of the Summit of the Americas, in December 1998. In their Declaration, the Ministers stated their objective as:The facilitation of increased Western Hemisphere trade, tourism, and business travel, and the development of integrated transportation infrastructure and systems that build upon the ongoing work of regional transport institutions. They stated their intention to intensify ongoing efforts in order to achieve certain objectives.

The Ministers outlined four priority areas in which to proceed. These were the development of: -
1. Plan of Action for Integration
2. Transportation Statistics System
3. Compendium on Safety and Incident Response Best Practices
4. Disaster Response Plan.

Under the priority area “Transportation Statistics System”, the Ministers recognized that the sharing of transportation information and data among member countries was important for integrating the hemisphere's transportation systems and services, and agreed to develop a Western Hemisphere Transportation Statistics System in order to meet current and future transport planning and investment needs in the hemisphere. The system would build upon existing work in the area of transportation information, and should be linked, if possible, to the OAS Foreign Trade Information Service maintained for all Summit of the Americas countries. The system should also provide information required for normal transportation planning and for emergency, disaster-related transportation needs.

The Ministry of Transport and Works continued the work, began previously, to produce a National Transport Policy for Jamaica. The Ministry’s technicians then, recognized that the development of the transportation system was being done without a comprehensive, well-articulated National Transport Policy based on a cohesive set of policy principles and strategic directions. This policy had to be supported by transportation statistics that would aid in well-informed policy decisions, planning and evaluation. On December 15, 1999, the Ministry signed a Memorandum of Co-Operation (MOC) with the United States Department of Transportation, this MOC was in furtherance of the agreement to develop a Western Hemisphere Transportation Statistics System. The process of producing the Transport statistics then began with the establishment of a Steering Committee and a Project Implementation Committee. The objective was to begin the acquisition of a transport statistics function producing statistics along the lines envisaged by the Western Hemispheric Transport Data System. The Project Implementation Committee began the collection of data, which has been updated and revised on a continuous basis and has resulted in the present document being launched.

The report contains a wide range of information which will be of interest and will be useful to players not only in the transportation sector, but to others in various other industries and sectors of the economy. Apart from all the entities falling under the Ministry of Transport and Works various other entities were instrumnetal in the compliation of data for this report. These include the Jamaica Customs Department; the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology; Statistical Institue of Jamaica; Ministry of Local Government Sports and Community Development; the Rural Agricultural Development Association; the Trade Board Ltd.; Jamaica Socail Investment Fund; Inland Revenue Department and the Alpart, Kaiser, Jamalco and Windalco bauxite companies.

Minister Fergusion said that the presentation of the report was is indeed a significant step, in the life of the Ministry as well as in the overall development of a truly scientific approach to all aspects of the planning process. The Minister congratulated the Ministry's Technical Services Unit and all others who contributed to the compilation of the Report. He said he was confident that the Report would redound to the credit of the Ministry, but more importantly, to the benefit of the country.