The case of Mauritius:- A simplified and accelerated example of how modern transport systems develop. [Published title: Transport practice and policy in Mauritius]

Like many developing nations over the last twenty years or so, Mauritius has undergone - and continues to undergo - a revolution in the way its society lives and works. From a transport perspective what makes the country of interest, is that this small, densely populated, developing island nation located in the Indian Ocean, serves as a microcosm of how transport systems in most of the world’s more developed nations have evolved. Mauritian policy makers are already faced with many of the problems faced in other countries, but with less time, experience and resources to develop a solution before the situation becomes critical - due to the faster pace of population, economic growth, and the lack of space. The aim of the paper therefore, is to construct a case study of Mauritius to provide a simplified and manageable model of how physical, economic and social factors - combined with transport policy choices - can influence how transport systems develop. The paper will outline the development of transport policy in Mauritius to date, and look at the options available for the future. From this, conclusions will be drawn as to what can be learnt from the Mauritian experience.