Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety: Traffic moves on the left side of the road in Kiribati. While satisfactory is some areas, roads in urban Tarawa and Christmas Island generally need repair. After heavy rains and high tides, some road sections temporaryily flood.  Traffic proceeds at a relatively slow rate. Drinking and driving is commonplace, especially on the weekends. Since visibility is poor, with no streetlights, drivers should be especially careful when driving at night. For specific information concerning Kiribati drivers’ permits, vehicle inspection, road tax and mandatory insurance, please contact the Consulate of the Republic of Kiribati in Honolulu, Hawaii at (808) 834-7603 or KiribatiConsul@aol.com.

Traffic Laws:   The traffic speed has been reduced in places to 20 km/h or less as a result of road damage, and driving conditions are hazardous, particularly after rain.

Public Transportation: The road network is very small, comprising approximately 546 km of main roads and 262 km of minor roads, of which 119.4 km and 13.8km, respectively, are sealed roads. The main sealed roads are on South Tarawa and Kirimati, and the unsealed roads are distributed among 20 islands.  While the lightly travelled roads of Kirimati are in relatively good condition, the heavily used South Tarawa roads are deteriorating rapidly, and the impact of poor road conditions is significant.  Road safety is a major concern with a growing incidence of road accidents due to increased traffic, the age and condition of vehicles and dangerous driving.

Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information.

Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Kiribati], the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the government of Kiribati’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards.  Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page.