GOVERNMENT is considering taking over the management of all roads from local authorities as part of measures to address the widespread dilapidation of the country’s road network.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona told Senate recently that his ministry was seeking to assume control of main roads, trunk roads and all roads within cities and towns currently under the purview of city councils and rural district councils.
The proposal, which would require Parliamentary approval, was presented as a solution to poor coordination, shoddy workmanship and a lack of engineering expertise at local level.
“We have seen that over the past two decades, our roads have dilapidated and are in a sorry state,” said Minister Mhona.
“We have seen that at times, engineers from local authorities attend to roads without proper expertise. At times, the works are actually shoddy.”
The minister clarified that the plan was a formal proposal and not a final decision.
“We were thinking that maybe with the blessing of the National Assembly and Senate, we will be advocating for the ministry to make sure that we attend to all roads through the Department of Roads,” he said.
He said consolidating road management under a single national department would ensure faster and more efficient responses to road maintenance challenges.
This would involve “collapsing other road authorities” to give the Department of Roads the sole mandate.
“This will give us that leeway to make sure that we attend to roads with speed. Not necessarily saying this road belongs to RIDA (Rural Infrastructure Development Agency), this one belongs to local authorities but we make sure that we have the mandate of rehabilitating roads through the Department of Roads. If you look at even the traffic lights, they fall under the purview of local authorities, but at times, as the Minister of Transport, you are expected to comment and also suggest,” said Minister Mhona.
“If you look at even the drainage system, it falls under local authorities, but we cannot continue watching. Once again, the proposal that I have proffered to say we need to take charge of all the roads and this is mandated again in the Roads Act, that the Minister of Transport, if you see that the road is neglected, you can take over but this will be temporary. The idea behind this, we need to make sure that we attend to the roads, so that we do not have departments to say this is local authority, this is the Ministry of Transport.” – Herald
