Rural Road Investment Efficiency: Lessons from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Uganda (Directions in Development)

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This book was written because at the time when Development Partners focus especially on rural mobility, it is worth trying to know how to achieve better aid effectiveness in rural transport. So far, most Development Partners and governments in SSA have relied on two overarching assumptions, which have led to massive road investments: (i) most households in rural areas in Africa are not connected to markets and therefore need a road passable for a truck (all the more as they are remote), (ii) roads with high level of service are crucial to achieve high economic impact. We demonstrate in this book that these assumptions may be questioned in many cases in SSA. Based on data collection from various sources in Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Uganda, we demonstrate that from a cost-benefit perspective, the additional cost of extending an all-weather road 2 more km to the farmer??s door outweigh the benefits in most cases. Therefore, aone size fits all approach, such as achieving the Rural Access Index, is not wishful from an aid effectiveness perspective. We should realize that a seven-meter road may not be required in most rural areas in SSA. Some pilots should be supported locally to potentially meet the demand for Intermediate Means of Transport (although any success may not be replicable to another region or country). The last mile should not be a road for a truck but the secondary network, which link secondary cities, should be in good condition (paved or unpaved) to enable truck fleet efficiency and competition. Finally, donor coordination is a must to avoid for example the rehabilitation of rural roads not connected to passable secondary roads.