Planning and Reforms for Honiara’s Public Transport

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) and the Advisor for “Capacity Improvement of Urban Transport Management in Honiara”—a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project—are currently undertaking planning efforts to make public transport in Honiara more user-friendly, safe, and sustainable for the future.

Since its launching last year, discussions have been held with relevant government agencies, and interviews have been conducted with bus operators.

The findings were shared publicly at a seminar held last November, where participants exchanged views and discussed possible future directions. 

The project is currently at the stage of reviewing areas of public transport policy that may require reform and organising a structured reform programme.

Last month, the proposed standardised bus stop names were shared with the Road Transport Board (RTB) at its regular meeting and received formal approval.

This approval will serve as a foundation for future consideration of clearer bus stop signage and bus route maps. 

While no immediate visible changes are expected, it represents an important step toward making public transport easier to understand in the future.

Advisories are also being provided to the Honiara City Council (HCC) regarding its recent school bus initiative, which has now commenced operations, particularly on institutional arrangements and operational structures.

“This advice demonstrates our collaboration efforts that will support safer school transportation while contributing to longer-term improvements in the public bus system,” the statement said.

Consultations will continue with bus operators, the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Traffic Department, the Guadalcanal Provincial Government, RTB and other stakeholders to explore fair and stable operating frameworks.

Through these series of consultations, the project team will develop and implement new public transport policies, clarify and standardise roles for bus operation, and improve the road traffic environment in Honiara.

MID’s Deputy Secretary Technical Mike Qaqara said the government will continue working with the JICA team over this year and into next year when it lapses.

“Although reforming systems takes time, this project will continue working collaboratively toward a public transport system that citizens can use with confidence,” he emphasised.

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MID statement