PART I
Roads are the most popularly used mode of transport. They have been catalysing human civilization and supporting economic and social development of the world since creation.
Roads also remain the predominant mode of transport across the globe despite technological advances. Besides, the current development approach views broad development as the integral part of the broader vision of sustainable development and poverty reduction.
According to a recent report by the International Road Federation (IRF), roads have a larger socio-economic benefits in Europe with trucks carrying nearly 80 per cent of all goods. And the road sector has contributed approximately 22 per cent of the GDP of the EU member countries’ economy and 5 per cent of the employment. In the member nations, vehicle related taxes accounted for 10.2 per cent of the total fiscal income.
As a developing yet ambitious nation to become a middle income country, has Ethiopia’s road development effort been fruitful? Is the current national road coverage enabling to facilitate the socio-economic and political development and ultimately help the nation meet its ambition of enjoying middle income economy?
Two decades back, after the incumbent overthrown the Derg regime, took power and gained political stability, it began to ponder on extricating its people from the long-standing quagmire of poverty. Before a couple of decades and a half, the nation’s economy had been weakened due to war and total instability. And the social and economic infrastructures had been in very poor condition. The situation of road infrastructure prevailing at that time would undoubtedly impede the targets of the overall national developments of the nation.
Realizing its importance, the Ethiopian government started massive road development, giving priority among other national development agendas. Explaining the road situation, Ethiopian Roads Authority Communications Director Samson Wondimu said the sector was entangled with acute troubles that impede other development agenda.
“Before 26 years, the total length of road network nationwide was 18,081 km and only 17 per cent of the total figure was asphalt. About 20 per cent of the network was in good condition. As 80 per cent of the road network was quite dilapidated, vehicles could not use it unless obligatory,” the Director said.
This left most parts of the region socially and economically detached. The rural community had to trek an average of 30.4 km or 10.2 hours to reach their destination, he added. Because of the worst road situation, the rural population in particular was exposed to increased transport cost and travel time significantly affecting production and productivity, thereby hampering the nation’s economic growth.
Different reports on the issue indicate that farmers could not access profitable market options to sell their products. Nor could they access healthcare facilities to get treatment for even very minor illnesses which resulted in health complications and reduced production and economic gains. Increased rates of maternal and child mortality and morbidity were also common phenomenon among these communities.
Moreover, Ethiopian children couldn’t join school at all or at the proper age or go beyond primary classes because the expansion of schools, as to the health facilities, was hampered by the road factor. Besides, the absence of local contractors on the other hand forced nation to rely on foreign capacity that required costing the already scarce currency.
Therefore, in a bid to bridge this extreme incongruity between the nation’s comprehensive development endeavours and the very poor national road network situation of the time, as well as to perk up the war affected economy, government has progressively designed and implemented several road sector development programs.
The Road Sector Development Programmes (RSDP) under Programme for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PASDEP), Universal Rural Road Access Programme (URRAP), and Growth and Transformation Plans I and II (GTP I & II) are among the major programmes.
In 2010, by the end of PASDEP period and beginning of GTP-I, the government launched another programme named Universal Rural Road Access Programme (URRAP), which is fully financed by the government. It was designed to meet the target of networking all kebeles to the nearby all-weather roads. Putting these programmes on the ground has demanded the government to spend over 266 billion birr. Government’s earnest efforts and the huge capital expenditure have proved fruitful.
By the end of GTP I, the national road network reached 110,414 km, while strengthened efforts GTP-II lifted it up to 128,470 km, according to a report by Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA). Between 1997 and 2016, the national network showed a 326 per cent growth, as road density grew from 24.1 per cent to 102.8 per cent, and road network showed an annual growth of 8.2 per cent.
Similarly, by the end of GTP-I, the proportion of road in good condition now reached 92 per cent from 20 per cent in 1991, while asphalt roads coverage also rose from 3,542 to 14,632kms.
Within 19 years time, the rural roads also showed parallel growth. The 5,573km rural road coverage in 1991 grew to 31,620km. Besides, the implementation of URRAP produced over 62,000km all weather roads that are connected to kebeles.
The report mentioned that the significantly higher road network growth has had a meaningful impact on the lives of the rural agrarian community.
“Rural kebeles now are interlinked each other and to all weather roads. In some areas, the 10.2 hours walk made to reach all weather roads in 26 years ago now dwindled to 1.5 hours,” Samson said.
Moreover, Government’s RSDP success has been extended to two other areas: Connecting the nation’s major routes to bordering countries and building modern speed road along the development corridors. These roads are expected to promote trade, further boost bilateral relations, and strengthen regional integration among countries as they provide Ethiopia with alternative ports.
Some of roads to this effect include the 100 km long Assosa-Kurmruk asphalt road opened for traffic two years ago allows the use of Port of Sudan. It further strengthens the mutual relationships between the two nations thereby accelerating export trade. Other roads to the same reason are the Gondar-Humera and Debre-Markos-Azezo-Metema asphalt roads.
Besides, the route from Awash to Jigjiga-Togo-Chale started has long been connecting the nation to Somaliland and Port of Berbera, as a 500.3km asphalt road that links Addis Ababa to Mombasa- Kenya is nearing completion.
Moreover, Gambella-Etang-Jikawo and Mizan-Teferi-Boma asphalt roads connect Ethiopia to South Sudan, while Woyto-Turmi-Omorate-Namrapuse road connects communities along the Ethio-Kenya boarder.
The old and damaged Awash-Mile-Galafi road which serves as the major import export road through Port Djibouti has been rebuilt with asphalt concrete. Having built these modern import-export roads meeting high standards, government shifted to the construction of express ways. Addis-Adama Express Way is a chapter opener in this regard. The success and experience from this led to instant decision to build the same road to all development corridors where the rapid industrialization has been started. Consequently, construction of Mojo-Hawassa Express Way started months ago while the one to Adama-Awash is to be started soon.
Then what socio-economic benefits have the incumbent’s effort of putting all these roads brought to citizens and the nation in the past two decades? Has the 267.2 billion birr public expenditure worth the benefit so far?
(The writer answers these questions in the second part of this piece, tomorrow’s edition)