IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY: THE GOAL OF ROAD NETWORKS

Accessibility: overview Rural roads are built to make places accessible Thinking has evolved from building roads (’70’s-’80’s), to networks, to transport systems, to mobility and ultimately accessibility (’90’s onwards) Accessibility to what and for whom? More mobility or move destinations closer? Is the problem poor roads or poor transport services? The good-enough road: cost-effective? Accessibility must be sustainable

Accessibility: basic principles Building high quality roads for themselves was not sustainable: wasteful of capital and unmaintainable Rural roads do not exist in isolation: roads must be seen as links in a network, in turn lleading to higher level networks Road systems must be viewed from the point of view of accessibility of services: if not redundant and under-used roads Mobility can be constrained by lack of transport: must take account of this: if not again underused and unsustainable roads It can be cheaper to build extra clinics or schools then improve roads (but will road engineers agree?) Institutionally it can be difficult to integrate accessibility needs and roadbuilding but it must be done Will roads reduce poverty? Ça dépend

Accessibility must be sustainable Accessibility is no use if it is not sustainable People need time to adapt to new opportunities Investment must not outrun resources for maintenance There can be strong pressures to invest too quickly (poverty reduction, local politics) Core network must be identified, improved monitored and maintained first

Accessibility

Accessibility: references Accessibility planning.pdf