Brunei Darussalam - Transportation



Two seaports, at Muara and Kuala Belait, offer direct shipping services to Hong Kong, Singapore, and several other Asian ports. However, wharf facilities at the deepwater port of Muara, though expanded to about 550 m (1,800 ft) in the mid-1980s, remain inadequate. In 2002, Brunei had 7 liquefied gas tankers with a total capacity of 348,476 GRT. The Brunei River, which flows by the capital, is a major thoroughfare.

In 2002, there were 1,712 km (1,063 mi) of main roads, of which 1,284 km (798 mi) were paved. Links between the capital and the other western towns are good. Road connections between Brunei and Sarawak are being built. Buses are inexpensive but unreliable; river taxis and cars are for hire. In 2000, the sultanate had 70,427 passenger cars and 14,342 commercial vehicles registered.

A 13-km (8-mi) railway is operated by the Brunei Shell Petroleum Co. In addition, there were 2 airports in 2001, only 1 of which had a paved runway. The national carrier, Royal Brunei Airlines, operates regular flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and other cities. Some foreign airlines serve Brunei International Airport at Barakas, outside the capital.

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