Australia will need to enhance transportation infrastructures to cope with growing populations and to provide access to potential export industries, according to transport expert, Dr Kali Prasad Nepal.

“Unlike some congested cities in Asia, Australia enjoys the vast areas of land for constructing wide roads, excellent ports for water transport and clear sky for aviation. However, settlements are concentrated along the coastal line and the coastal cities are becoming more and more congested,” Dr Nepal said.

“We face the challenge of connecting regional Australia by constructing and enhancing transportation infrastructures, by improving transportation systems and services for the major cities along the coastal line and by coordinating different transport modes smoothly and efficiently”.

He said Australia would need to find ways to cope with the ever-increasing demand, increase safety and security, and reduce the cost of congestion and environmental degradation.

“Such a transport environment is both the potential and the challenge for transport researchers,” Dr Nepal said.

The recently-appointed transportation lecturer at CQU Rockhampton, Dr Nepal has conducted a wealth of research into Japan’s transport industries in recent years and intends to use this insight to look further into Australia’s situation.

“CQU is strategically located in Central Queensland where there is enormous potential for both passenger and freight transport research.

“Queensland is Australia’s fastest growing state, and in particular South-East Queensland urgently needs better transportation systems to manage its travel demand and to prepare for the future.

“Unlike the congestion problem in South-East Queensland, Central and Northern Queensland have problems of inadequate access to a regionally distributed population, insufficient public transport services and economically infeasible transportation options due to high construction cost and low travel demand”.

Dr Nepal believes Queensland needs better transport systems to provide access to potential industries such as coal, mineral, agriculture, and alike, especially along the Brisbane-Cairns Corridor.

Dr Nepal began work as a transportation lecturer at CQU Rockhampton back in June. Previously he had worked as a researcher at the Institute for Transport Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan. He was responsible for cutting-edge application-orientated research for formulating transport policies.

Dr Nepal has also worked as a lecturer at Tribhuvan University and as a civil engineer/transport planner in Nepal.

His published works include a chapter in a book and numerous journal and conference papers.

Photos: Kali Nepal.