Optimum strategic management system for Lesotho roads network through RONET model

Abstract

The paper presents the application of World Bank's Model RONET to optimize strategic management system for Lesotho roads network. The Lesotho road network condition deteriorated considerably during the 2000s due to underfinancing of operations and maintenance. In recent years, as the financial situation in Lesotho has improved, financing for the road sector has gradually increased, focusing on the most hazardous and highly trafficked parts of the road network. However, the overall budget allocated to the sector remains inadequate to maintain the entire district road network in a stable condition. This research is going to present the application of World Bank's model Road Network Evaluation Tool (RONET) to strategic network level analysis of the Lesotho road network. The goals of the presented study are to obtain the optimum maintenance and rehabilitation strategy and related budget, estimate the impact of different funding levels on the future quality and estimate the economic consequences of budget constraints. The application of RONET model will lead to an optimal maintenance and rehabilitation strategy with a good balance between rehabilitation, periodic and recurrent maintenance. The implementation of optimal maintenance and rehabilitation strategy would cause major improvement compared to current condition of the network. Implementation of higher than optimal maintenance and rehabilitation leads to substantially higher roads directorate costs and consequently lower net benefits, while the implementation of the lower than optimal maintenance and rehabilitation standards would lead to considerably worse network condition for slightly lower agency costs. This means that even minor budget constraints would result in considerably higher total road transport costs in the country's economy.