The main roads in Colombia are in the process of improvement or construction. For years, the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) and the National Institute of Roads (Invías) have carried out conditioning processes and creation of new routes that improve the connection of the regions and considerably reduce mobilization times.
(Government invests $15 billion for infrastructure in Santander).
However, due to the fact that the country is under construction, both freight and passenger transporters and, in general, drivers, have had to take various measures to deal with the situation, while they wait for the work to be completed.
In the case of passenger transport companies, their spokespersons assure that due to these decisions there is a considerable increase in the costs involved in mobilizing. For José Yesid Rodríguez, president of the Association for the Comprehensive Development of Land Transport (Aditt), the improvements or constructions sometimes represent taking alternative routes that increase costs in the operation.
(Barrancabermeja and Barranquilla join).
“The economic implications are quite complex when there are waiting times or in the case of route deviations. When you have to take alternate routes, these involve a longer journey and thus greater mileage, this considerably affects transportation costs,” Rodríguez stressed.
According to the president of the Aditt, the increase in operating expenses can even represent a large part of the resources. “The costs are made up of the value of fuel, tolls and maintenance in general. When there is a longer route as in the case of the line, as in the case of the Cali – Piales route, of the route that connects the Coffee Region with Antioquia, we are normally talking about up to 30% more costs for the operation”, said the president of Aditt.
Among those that stand out the most is the increase in fuel consumption, which in the words of Rodríguez, can be “approximately between 20% and 25% more”.
As for other items, vehicle maintenance is also affected. On the other hand, Colfecar, a cargo transport union, assured that despite works that have improved mobility, there are areas where difficulties continue on the roads.
“The access road to Buenaventura is still a bidirectional road that generates traffic jams of several hours for entering and leaving the city. (…) to access this logistics cluster, there is no public transport and the necessary security for the workers”, said Nidia Hernández Jiménez, executive president of Colfecar.
In addition, he stressed that it is not only in this area, because “in other cities, what is saved on national highways is lost due to the excessive time to enter the country’s capitals, added to the insecurity at these points.”
RAINS STOP THE ROADS
And although the Government, headed by the Ministry of Transport, is working to improve connectivity, the rains affect mobility.
“The waiting times that carriers have to do due to landslides caused by the weather, construction on the roads or new roads have a considerable effect and generate higher costs,” said Rodríguez.
In addition, he indicated that the most critical roads for drivers are Pasto-Mojarras, La Línea and La Pintada.
In this aspect, Colfecar supports what Aditt said, while indicating that the winter problems affect imports, exports and even the national distribution of products.
PAULA GALEANO BALAGUERA
BRIEFCASE
