The transport market is largely populated by small, localised owner operators on a casual as-required basis. There are no unions but due to the remote island nature of the country there is no option for foreign operators to enter the market.

On Tarawa there are numerous 3–5 tonne trucks owned by independent operators that are available for hire. These are currently able to adequately service the domestic demand and would be available for utilisation if there were a surge in demand. There are 3–4 larger operators who dominate the market that have side lifter trucks and various pieces of heavy equipment available.

Christmas Island has up to 30 x 3 mt trucks and 20 X 5 mt trucks. Individuals own these. They are adequate for the current domestic requirements and would be available for hire in case of a necessary humanitarian action.

On the smaller outer islands each island Council has a 5 mt truck; larger islands with populations in excess of 1,000 people will generally have several 5–8 mt flat deck tucks owned by individuals. Other transport is generally limited to motorbikes with few cars.

For more information on transport company contact details, please see the following link: 4.8 Transporter Contact List here

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