2008年-世界发展银行全球_Improving_the_Management_of____________Secondary_and_Tertiary_Roads_in_the_South_East_Europe_Countries_73页_471kb

Summary of "Improving the Management of Secondary and Tertiary Roads in the South East Europe Countries"

Core Content

This report, prepared by the World Bank's Transport Unit in the Europe and Central Asia Region, focuses on the challenges and opportunities in managing and financing secondary and tertiary road networks in South East Europe (SEE) countries. It emphasizes the importance of these roads in supporting economic development, poverty alleviation, regional integration, tourism, and access to essential services.

Main Objectives

The primary objective of the study is to provide recommendations to SEE countries for improving the management and financing of their secondary and tertiary road networks. These recommendations aim to:

• Enhance the efficiency of public spending.
• Reduce transport user costs.
• Improve access to markets, services, and opportunities.
• Catalyze economic development through better infrastructure management.

Key Findings

1. Importance of Secondary and Tertiary Roads

• Secondary and tertiary roads are vital for economic development and poverty reduction.
• In Albania, 49% of rural producers cite inadequate transportation as their biggest marketing challenge.
• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, road quality is a major complaint among the population.
• In FYR Macedonia, tertiary roads are among the top three capital investment priorities in two-thirds of municipalities.
• Improved roads lead to better access to services, increased school enrollment, and more frequent use of health services.

2. Current Condition of the Road Networks

• Over half of the secondary and tertiary roads in SEE countries are in poor or very poor condition.
• The situation is worst in Albania and Kosovo, where over 90% of these roads are in poor condition.
• The lack of adequate maintenance and funding is a significant contributor to this poor state.

3. Institutional Challenges

• Unclear Responsibilities: Many countries lack a clear legal framework for road classification and management, leading to confusion and inefficiencies.
• Weak Planning Frameworks: Centralized planning without local consultation results in neglect of certain road sections and regions.
• Inadequate Local Capacity: Local governments often lack the technical, planning, and managerial capacity to effectively manage tertiary roads.
• Insufficient Maintenance Funding: Funding from central governments is often insufficient and erratic, leading to poor maintenance.
• Lack of Incentives: Political preference for new road construction over maintenance exacerbates the problem.
• Inappropriate Design Standards: High design standards for tertiary roads, not suited to their traffic levels, lead to higher maintenance costs.

4. Financing Issues

• Irregular Fund Transfers: Transfers from central to local governments are often unstable and insufficient.
• Limited Local Revenue Mobilization: Local governments lack the leverage to raise funds for maintenance.
• Emphasis on Capital Projects: Most planning efforts are directed towards new construction rather than maintenance.

Recommendations

1. Institutional Strengthening

• A clear delineation of responsibilities for different road levels is essential.
• The functional classification system should be reviewed and updated to reflect current realities.
• The assignment of responsibility should align with administrative structures and the capacity of road agencies.
• Legal frameworks must be revised to support new classifications and responsibilities.

2. Management Models

• Central Agency Model: Reclaiming legal responsibility for rural roads and transferring them to a central ministry, a national road agency, or a special-purpose rural roads agency.
• Project Implementation Agency Model: Local governments can transfer road management responsibilities to specialized agencies.
• Joint Service Committees: Encouraging local governments to form joint committees for more efficient management.
• Private Sector Involvement: Contracting out planning and management functions to consultants or private entities.

3. Asset Management System

• Establishing an asset management system is crucial for effective road maintenance.
• This includes an updated road inventory, mapping, and recording of all tertiary roads and important community roads.
• Complementary data such as locations of schools, hospitals, and markets should be integrated into the inventory.

4. Decision Support System

• A simplified decision support system should be developed to help with budgeting and prioritization.
• This system should include data on maintenance needs, periodic maintenance, investment priorities, and administrative costs.
• Local communities should be involved in identifying priorities to ensure sustainability and relevance.

5. Design Standards

• Tertiary road design standards should be appropriate to the traffic levels and local conditions.
• Emphasis should be placed on cost-effective and accessible standards to reduce future maintenance burdens.

6. Financing Strategies

• Local governments should be encouraged to diversify revenue sources.
• Central governments should increase support for maintenance funding.
• Donor funding should be aligned with the needs of the tertiary road sector.

Conclusion

The management and financing of secondary and tertiary roads in SEE countries are critical for sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation. The report outlines a series of recommendations aimed at improving institutional frameworks, enhancing local capacity, ensuring appropriate design standards, and developing sustainable financing mechanisms. These steps are essential to address the current under-funding and poor condition of these roads and to support the broader goals of regional integration and improved quality of life for rural populations.