Guyana - Transportation



About 187 km (116 mi) of rail track are in service, originally built for the government-owned mining companies. The two government-owned passenger railway systems, however, have been scrapped: the Georgetown to New Amsterdam line in 1972, and the Georgetown to Parika line in 1974. Waterborne passenger and cargo service between these cities is now carried out by a government-owned transport service via the Essequibo and Berbice rivers. Georgetown is the main port, while New Amsterdam accommodates coastal and small oceangoing vessels. Springlands, on the Corentyne River, is the main port for service with Suriname. In 2002, the merchant fleet had 2 ships at a total GRT of 2,929. Waterfalls and rapids near the coast have prevented the development of river transportation to the interior, which contains 5,900 km (3,666 mi) of navigable waterways.

Roadways measured an estimated 7,970 km (4,953 mi) in 2002, of which only 590 km (367 mi) were paved. As of 2000, Guyana had about 61,300 passenger cars, and 15,500 commercial taxis, trucks and buses. There were an estimated 51 airports in 2001, only 8 of which had paved runways. Georgetown's Timehri International Airport is served by several international carriers. Guyana Airways Corp., a government company, operates domestic and international air service. In 2001, 47,800 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international flights.

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