When roads are liabilities
Salahuddin Ahmed | Thursday, 12 March 2009
ROAD networks in Bangladesh have been expanded tremendously over the years. But the country is not getting the optimum returns from this development. Roads are vital for the growth and development of any economy. Roads facilitate business activities and movement of raw materials and finished products between various destinations. Roads do step up marketing or distribution in any economy. Transportation costs determines the viability and competitiveness of enterprises. Good road networks can cut down transportation costs in terms of both time and money. While a large network of roads is essential, only its largeness cannot deliver if the roads are not usable due to lack of maintenance.
Unfortunately, a big part of the expanded road networks is not improperly maintained. For lack of coordinated action most of the roads remain unusable. As the needed repairs are undertaken after long waits, the benefit of roads get nullified. For this reason when the roads remain out of use economic losses can be enormous.
According to an estimate, irregular road maintenance alone costs the economy in the neighbourhood of $1.0 million every day. No estimate is, however, available of the losses caused by slowed-down or delayed movement of goods and services and depreciation of vehicles due to pot-holes on roads. But the losses thereof even for a day, would be staggering.
In this context, there is a pressing need for proper maintenance of the roads. This requires proper planning and implementation. For the economy to be competitive and cost-efficient, there is no alternative. There is a proposal for the government to set aside a 'road fund' to keep the roads usable round the year. The money allocated for road maintenance now is totally inadequate. Besides, this allocation cannot be utilised in time due to lack of coordination between the Ministries of Communications, Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and the ministry of Finance. Then again, red tape causes delays, corruption and misuse of the inadequate funds.
Greater resources could be mobilised for the road fund through raising direct fees, tolls, licence fees and the like. Even foreign aid for the sector could be diverted to the fund, if permissible. The fund should be made available to the RHD for timely maintenance activities. It would boost the fund and the capacity to undertake the needed repairs without delays. An autonomous RHD with the road fund under it should facilitate regular maintenance of the roads.
The RHD should also discourage overloading that can damage the roads faster. This would require cooperation of the traffic police to make the road users more responsible. Anticipating the future traffic needs, RHD should plan and build new roads so that it can cope with the growing pressure of a developing economy.
Unfortunately, a big part of the expanded road networks is not improperly maintained. For lack of coordinated action most of the roads remain unusable. As the needed repairs are undertaken after long waits, the benefit of roads get nullified. For this reason when the roads remain out of use economic losses can be enormous.
According to an estimate, irregular road maintenance alone costs the economy in the neighbourhood of $1.0 million every day. No estimate is, however, available of the losses caused by slowed-down or delayed movement of goods and services and depreciation of vehicles due to pot-holes on roads. But the losses thereof even for a day, would be staggering.
In this context, there is a pressing need for proper maintenance of the roads. This requires proper planning and implementation. For the economy to be competitive and cost-efficient, there is no alternative. There is a proposal for the government to set aside a 'road fund' to keep the roads usable round the year. The money allocated for road maintenance now is totally inadequate. Besides, this allocation cannot be utilised in time due to lack of coordination between the Ministries of Communications, Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and the ministry of Finance. Then again, red tape causes delays, corruption and misuse of the inadequate funds.
Greater resources could be mobilised for the road fund through raising direct fees, tolls, licence fees and the like. Even foreign aid for the sector could be diverted to the fund, if permissible. The fund should be made available to the RHD for timely maintenance activities. It would boost the fund and the capacity to undertake the needed repairs without delays. An autonomous RHD with the road fund under it should facilitate regular maintenance of the roads.
The RHD should also discourage overloading that can damage the roads faster. This would require cooperation of the traffic police to make the road users more responsible. Anticipating the future traffic needs, RHD should plan and build new roads so that it can cope with the growing pressure of a developing economy.