A systematic diagnostic of Iran’s road transport for export and providing solutions based on SWOT approach

Road transport is a critical component of Iranian transportation system. Over 90 percent of domestic transport is carried by roads and also this mode plays a fundamental role in exporting to the major regional markets. However, the existing problems in this sector have hindered the efficiency of exports in terms of cost, time, and reliability. In this regard, the present study aims to undertake a diagnostic of Iran's road transport for export, and to devise strategies and solutions to the most important problems. For this purpose, at the first phase a total of 26 problems were identified via desk-based analysis, interviews, and group discussions with experts and practitioners. Then, identified problems were classified into 7 groups of the developed diagnostic framework. Next, a questionnaire was used to validate and prioritize the classified problems. The results indicate that problems with the highest priorities mostly belong to the groups of “institutional and business related issues” and “freight assignment and transport information systems”. In particular, two problems of “lack of coordination among the involved public and private sectors” and “lack of specialized export companies (mainly for perishable goods)” have the highest priorities. Finally, an SWOT analysis was employed and seven strategies and their corresponding solutions were devised to enhance the efficiency of road transport for export.