Deficiency within pavement Maintenance Organization in Tanzania

The geography of Tanzania, its size, diversity and dispersion give roads a special position in integration of the national economy. In particular, roads serve rural areas and centers of production more effectively than any other mode of transport. Despite this crucial role of roads, the network shows alarming signs of neglect and decay. The prevailing institution system of road maintenance has been clearly identified to be at the root of the problem. In addition, the rules and regulations of the public administrative system do not allow for an effective and efficient management of road maintenance. Lack of equipment and adequate qualified personnel in the field of road maintenance is too an added deficiency. As a consequence, Tanzania has started to put road maintenance on a fee–for–service basis and to transfer the management from a “government ministry environment” to a “company environment”. The paper discusses the current state of the road network, funding acquisition for maintenance, the institutional framework within the maintenance and management system and finally concludes with a recommendation of initiatives for the improvement of the maintenance system in Tanzania. Journal of Civil Engineering Research and Practice Vol.1(1) 2004: 103-11