South Africa requires up to US $ 13.96bn to aid in the reconstruction of more than 173 000 km of municipal roads across the country. The amount will cater for all the roads given that they are in very bad conditions.
During a briefing to the Parliaments Transport portfolio committee, it was noted that 173 089 km of roads were in “poor to very poor conditions” and out of this, 16402 km of roads were paved, while 156687km were just on gravel.
The paved roads required US $ 11.06bn for rehabilitation, while reconstruction of gravel roads would amount to US $2.91bn.
The annual strategic performance plan tabled to the committee defined poor roads as those in need of major renewal and rehabilitation, while very poor roads were those in impending danger or structural failure and requiring considerable renewal or upgrading.
According to Mawethu Vilana the Transport Director General in South Africa, most of these roads were in municipalities and good roads amounted to only 40 per cent, and they were managed by the South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL).
14 per cent of roads were tolled, with the remaining 86 per cent being funded by the public. Vilana noted that the SA government is looking into the involvement of the private sector in tolling so that they can construct economic road infrastructure.
