Review of sub-Saharan African gravel roads management system: Tanzanian case study

摘要

The construction of new networks of gravel roads needed by sub-Sahara Africa will eventually come to completion. Furthermore, many of the gravel roads constructed or rehabilitated between 2005 and 2008 have come to the end of their design lives and during their life cycle, difficulties were experienced in getting required funds for maintenance. What is becoming apparent to the governments and road agencies of sub-Sahara Africa is the urge to conserve, as national asset, the gravel roads network, through the use of operational road management systems. Based on the above mentioned desire, the sub-Saharan African countries, including Tanzania, are exploring ways of strengthening the management of roads transport infrastructure. Towards that end Tanzania have two organisations responsible for managing its road networks, namely Tanzania Road Agency (TANROADS) and Local Government Authority (LGA)'s district engineer's office. TANROADS is responsible for the management of trunk and regional road networks, while LGAs are responsible for the management of districts road networks. Each of these road agencies uses its own road management system. TANROADS uses Road Maintenance Management Systems (RMMS), and LGA uses District Roads Management Systems (DROMAS). Both these systems have been developed with experts and financial assistance from foreign countries, with involvement of local experts at ministerial or top managerial levels. This paper discusses and points out factors affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of these systems in gravel road management in comparison with those in the developed world. It is expected that ironing out those aspects of management affecting effective and efficient conservation of gravel roads will improve further their performance.