Potential for Private-Sector Road Maintenance in Developing Countries: Case Studies

Examined are the different approaches adopted worldwide for involving the private sector in road maintenance, and competing claims for public- and private-sector involvement are assessed. Literature was surveyed, and case studies were carried out in Colombia, Ghana, and the United Kingdom to provide practical examples of a range of countries, conditions, and experiences. The aim was to give particular attention to the needs of low-income situations, and cases in the United Kingdom provided a baseline industrial country comparison. General findings indicate that in many countries the private sector is carrying out road maintenance duties. However, it has been difficult to identify objective, quantitative conclusions about cost savings from this approach because private-sector involvement is always concurrent with changes in other aspects of road management. Key issues that emerge are the needs for adequate funding, for separation of the client and supplier roles as a means of improving effectiveness and efficiency, and for the use of competition rather than simple emphasis on private-sector delivery. A partnering approach also provides benefits. A stepwise transition to outsourcing may offer a more pragmatic solution than the rapid and radical change to private-sector use that many developing countries have adopted. Above all, management of road administrations must be improved, irrespective of the mechanism of service delivery. Accomplishing this task may require both organizational and cultural changes.