Transport in the Cook Islands

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This article lists transport in the Cook Islands.

Road transport[]

Avarua Roundabout, one of only two on Rarotonga

The Cook Islands uses left-handed traffic.[1] The maximum speed limit is 50 km/h.[1] On the main island of Rarotonga, there are no traffic lights and only two roundabouts.[1] A bus operates clockwise and anti-clockwise services around the islands coastal ring-road.[2]

Road safety is poor. In 2011, the Cook Islands had the second-highest per-capita road deaths in the world.[3] In 2018, crashes neared a record high, with speeding, alcohol and careless behaviour being the main causes.[4] Motor-scooters are a common form of transport, but there was no requirement for helmets, making them a common cause of death and injuries.[5][6] Legislation requiring helmets was passed in 2007, but scrapped in early 2008 before it came into force.[7] In 2016 a law was passed requiring visitors and riders aged 16 to 25 to wear helmets, but it was widely flouted.[8] In March 2020 the Cook Islands parliament again legislated for compulsory helmets to be worn from June 26, but implementation was delayed until July 31,[9] and then until September 30.[10]

Highways
  • Total: 295 km (2018)[11]
  • Paved: 207 km (2018)
  • Unpaved: 88 km (2018)

Rail transport[]

The Cook Islands has no effective rail transport. Rarotonga had a 170m tourist railway, the Rarotonga Steam Railway, but it is no longer in working condition.[12]

Water transport[]

Avatiu Harbour, Rarotonga

The Cook Islands have a long history of sea transport. The islands were colonised from Tahiti, and in turn colonised New Zealand in ocean-going waka. In the late nineteenth century, following European contact, the islands had a significant fleet of schooners, which they used to travel between islands and to trade with Tahiti and New Zealand.[13] In 1899, locally owned shipping carried 10% of all international trade to the islands, and 66% of all trade carried by sail.[13] Indigenous-owned shipping was driven out of business following New Zealand's acquisition of the islands, replaced by government-owned vessels, New Zealand trading companies, and the steamships of the Union Steamship Company.[13]

International shipping is provided by Pacific Forum Line and Matson, Inc. (as EXCIL shipping). Only the port of Avatiu can handle containers, with ships unloading at Aitutaki using lighters.[14]

There are two inter-island shipping companies: Taio Shipping, operating two vessels, and , operating one.

In the past, shipping interruptions have led to shortages of imported goods and fuel, and electricity blackouts on the outer islands.[15] Shipping has frequently been subsidised to ensure service.[16] In 2019 the Cook Islands government announced that it would acquire a dedicated cargo ship for the outer islands after Cook Islands Towage's barge was sold.[17] It subsequently delayed the purchase pending the development of a Cook Islands Shipping Roadmap, and issued a tender for a Pa Enua Shipping Charter.[18]

The Cook Islands operates an open ship registry[19] and has been placed on the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control Black List as a flag of convenience.[20] Ships registered in the Cook Islands have been used to smuggle oil from Iran in defiance of international sanctions.[21] In February 2021 two ships were removed from the shipping register for concealing their movements by turning their Automatic identification system off.[22]

Ports and harbours[]

The smaller islands have passages through their reefs, but these are unsuitable for large vessels.

Merchant marine[]

  • total: 205[11]
  • by type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 3, general cargo 85, oil tanker 33, other 63 (2019)
  • country comparison to the world: 65

Air transport[]

Rarotonga Airport from air1
Further information: List of airlines of the Cook Islands
Further information: List of airports in the Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is served by one domestic airline, Air Rarotonga. A further three foreign airlines provide international service.

Airports[]

There is one international airport, Rarotonga International Airport. Eight airports provide local or charter services. Only Rarotonga and Aitutaki Airport are paved.

11 (2013)[11]
Airports – with paved runways
  • Total: 1 (2019)
  • 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
Airports – with unpaved runways
  • Total: 10 (2013)
  • 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2013)
  • 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2013)
+ Under 914 m: 1 (2013)

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Getting Around". Cook Islands Tourism Corporation. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Cooks' Island Bus Passenger Transport Ltd". Cook Islands Tourism Corporation. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Second most deadly roads". Cook Islands News. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  4. ^ "'Alarming' crash figures in Cook Islands". RNZ. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Cook Islands road toll fatalities points to 'gutless' MP's". The Coconet. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Moving to the Cook Islands: Kiss the road of Rarotonga". Stuff. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008: Cook Islands". Pacific Islands Report. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Young motorcyclists in Cooks still ignoring helmet law". RNZ. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  9. ^ Katrina Tanirau (19 June 2020). "Grace period to get helmets". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  10. ^ Rashneel Kumar (31 July 2020). "Two more months of no helmets". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  11. ^ a b c "The World Factbook 2020: Cook Islands". CIA. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  12. ^ "No Steam in the Cook Islands..." www.internationalsteam.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  13. ^ a b c "The lost century of independent sailing". Cook Islands News. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Ports information". Cook Islands Port Authority. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  15. ^ "'SURVIVOR' GETS SUPPLIES, COOKS' MANGAIA DOESN'T". Pacific Islands Report. 9 June 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Shipping Subsidy 2019". Ministry of Finance & Economic Management. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  17. ^ "$2.5m barge for outer islands". Cook Islands News. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Govt sails to the rescue". Cook Islands News. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  19. ^ "REGISTRATION SERVICES". Maritime Cook Islands. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  20. ^ "White, Grey and Black List". Paris MoU on Port State Control. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Cooks-flagged ships accused of defying Iran trade embargo". Cook Islands News. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  22. ^ Emmanuel Samoglou (23 February 2021). "Vessels to have Cooks flag removed". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

External links[]

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