Transport in Aruba is facilitated by road, air, and rail.
Aruba features a well-established road network, with the majority of the roads being paved. However, as one ventures towards the interior of the island, the prevalence of paved roads decreases, giving way to more rugged terrain. Conversely, coastal areas typically offer-well maintained paved roads. Aruba's road network covers a total distance of about , with remaining unpaved.
Public transport
The department of public transport, also known in as ''Departamento di Transporte Publico (DTP)'' in
Papiamento or ''Dienst Openbaar Personen Vervoer (DOPV)'' in
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, is the government agency overseeing various modes of public transportations, including taxis, buses, tour buses, and rental vehicle, such as cars, scooters, quads, races, and motorcycles). All public transportation services are required to obtain a transportation permit through DOPV.
Buses
Arubus N.V. is the major public transportation company and is owned by the Government of Aruba. It offers transportation services across large parts of the island, operating a fleet of approximately 29 buses. Mini-buses are also a common sight. There are two primary Arubus station located in
Oranjestad and
San Nicolas.
As per the
Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the number of registered buses has remained relatively stable from 2015 to 2021. In 2015, there were 129 registered buses, and this number increased to 140 by 2021. In contrast to buses, the count of registered tour buses, has experienced a rapid increase, growing from 94 to 312.
Data from the CBS indicates a decline in the total number of bus passengers (excluding school children) from 2010 to 2021. In 2010, a total of 2,719,083 passengers were transported, whereas in 2021, the number decreased to 1,129,944.
Air transport
Travelers have the option to take short plane flights from
Queen Beatrix International Airport
Queen Beatrix International Airport ( nl, Internationale luchthaven Koningin Beatrix; pap, Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix), colloquially known as Aruba Airport , is an international airport located in Oranjestad, Aruba. It has flight s ...
. The major local airlines,
Divi Divi Air
Divi Divi Air N.V. is a small regional service airline in Curaçao. It was established in 2001, based in Curaçao. It’s known as "Divi". The airline was titled from the Divi-divi trees which grow in the region.
History
Divi Divi Air was f ...
and
EZ Air, operate multiple daily flights between Aruba,
Curaçao, and
Bonaire. However, flying between the islands can be costly, and there have been persistent challenges. Since the 1970s, at least fifteen airlines, both local and from Europe, have made attempts in this regard. Local airlines, such as
Air Aruba
Air Aruba was the main air carrier from the island of Aruba. It was founded in 1986 and it declared bankruptcy in 2000. It was headquartered in the Brown Invest Building in Oranjestad, Aruba.
History
Air Aruba began in September 1986 as a g ...
, have faced financial issues, leading to bankruptcies over the years.
The ''
Antilliaanse Luchtvaartmaatschappij (ALM),'' or Antillean Airline, held the skies for 37 years, marking its status as the longest-running airline in the region. As a government-owned entity, it enjoyed a monopoly over the islands. ALM's reach extended to 26 flight destinations, with the largest portion (five) in Venezuela. In 2001, circumstances compelled it to halt its operations.
Director Edwin Kelly of the ''Directie Luchtvaart Aruba'', or Aruba Aviation Directorate, highlights significant challenges: insufficient considerations of market changes. Kelly point out that the Venezuelan market was robust, as was the
Cuban
Cuban may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean
* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent
** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof
* Cuban citizen, a perso ...
market, but
liberalization
Liberalization or liberalisation (British English) is a broad term that refers to the practice of making laws, systems, or opinions less severe, usually in the sense of eliminating certain government regulations or restrictions. The term is used m ...
has halted the latter. These markets are temporary and subject to fluctuations. Hence, Kelly emphasizes the need for a long-term strategy, not only for airline establishment but also for long-term viability and sustainability. However, it is crucial for the government to protect the route and maintain the connection between the islands.
Commercial and non-commercial total landings have seen a decline, dropping from 23,765 in 2015 to 11,294 in 2021. Notably, non-commercial landings have experienced the most significant decrease, falling from 6,219 to 986, in contrast to commercial landings, which decreased from 17,546 to 10,308.
Water transport
Ports and harbours
Aruba has three ports or harbors:
Barcadera,
Oranjestad, and
San Nicolas. The
Aruba Ports Authority manages the operations of the ports in
Barcadera and Oranjestad. The government has regained control of the former
Valero Aruba Refining Company port. Ports in Barcadera and San Nicolas primarily serve industrial and oil-related purposes.
Ferries
On 15 August 1973, a
Venezuelan ferry from
La Vela port in
Coro made its inaugural journey to Aruba. By April 1975, the ferry has faced challenges in Aruba related to
freight transportation and
labor union issues. These difficulties have escalated to the extent that the ferry's management was contemplating the possibility of excluding Aruba from its sailing schedule.
In 2017, based on research of ICASUS Caribbean, the possibility of a ''fast ferry'' between the ABC-islands would be economically viable. However, challenges related to
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...
and
illegal immigration are also recognized. Additionally, finding a suitable ferry represents another obstacle. Notably, there are few
fast ferries capable of operating in this region due to the strong ocean currents.
Currently, there are no ferry services between Aruba,
Curaçao, Bonaire and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
. The only way to travels between these destinations is by air.
Rail transport
Industrial railways
Historically, Aruba had three industrial narrow-gauge railways, although they are no longer in operation. These railways served various industrial purposes. The first railway used for the guano mines of the
Aruba Phosphate Company in
Seroe Colorado
Seroe Colorado () is a village situated at the southeastern tip of Aruba, an island located in the Ductch Caribbean. Nowadays, it is known for the Anchor in Memory to All Seamen. Historically, between 1878 and 1914, Seroe Colorado served as the l ...
. The other two were primarily associated with for the oil industry. One belonged to the
Lago Oil and Transport Company
Lago Oil & Transport Co. Ltd. had its beginning in 1924 as a shipping company carrying crude oil from Lake Maracaibo to its transshipment facility on the island of Aruba.
History
With the discovery of a vast amount of crude oil under Lake M ...
, a subsidiary of
ExxonMobil, and the other was owned by the
Arend Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of
Royal Dutch Shell
Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yo ...
.
Trams
In 2012, a significant development in Aruba's transportation infrastructure occurred with the inauguration of a
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
way
line in Downtown
Oranjestad. This addition marked notable expansion of public transportation options in the area and aimed to enhance mobility within the city.
Oranjestad Tramway map (tramz.com)
/ref>
See also
* Vehicle registration plates of Aruba
* Economy of Aruba
*List of airlines of the Netherlands Antilles
This is a list of airlines which currently operate from the Netherlands Antilles.''
See also
*List of airlines of the Americas
*List of defunct airlines of the Netherlands Antilles
*List of largest airlines in Central America & the Caribbean
R ...
Sources
*
References
External links
{{Americas topic, Transport in