Man has always been a traveller and in the early days he followed the
familiar and well-trodden routes. But man was always in search of the
easiest route by following a direct line across a plain, the contours in
hilly country or the course of a river. As the traffic developed, so did
the function of the road for which the gradient and surface soon became
important. Roads were provided as a means of moving people and goods, and
as a means of communication. Throughout history, roads have been closely
linked with conquest and with social and economic progress. The road
infrastructure forms an integral part of the economic development of the
country.
The problems facing the road authorities can be summed up in one word -
money. This problem became serious in 1973 with the initial oil crisis and
was followed up by the rapid escalation of costs due to an adverse
economical and political environment. As a result there was a reduction in
the progress of new roads and a deterioration in the level of service
provided by this facility. The aforementioned problem facing the
provincial road authorities of a lack of funds to finance the provision
and maintenance of the road network, provides a rationale for the area of
study, namely the financial administration of the road network, which
forms an integral part of the transport infrastructure, with specific
reference to Natal.
The provincial road network in Natal is funded and controlled by the Roads
Branch of the Natal Provincial Administration, whilst the Department of
Transport is responsible for the national road network.
As a necessary prelude to the area of study, numerous preliminary
details are investigated. Initially the development of Provincial Government is
investigated. Thereafter the nature of public financial administration is
discussed to provide an insight into the functions and processes of this
administration. A theoretical perspective is provided on the budgeting
systems which are currently in use.
The development and classification of the road network in Natal is
discussed and is followed by how the rural road network is administered.
The current policies from a financial perspective, of the provision and
maintenance of the provincial and national road network, is determined. It
shows that there is a lack of adequate funds being provided to enable the
road authorities to maintain a satisfactory level of service of the road
network that is both economical and safe for the road user.
The study is concluded with a few recommended strategies which will aid
public administrators responsible for the provision and maintenance of the
road network to gain an insight into making the most out of the limited
resources. The recommended strategies cover the aspects of funding
sources, financing policy, road network policy, budget control, and
privatisation and deregulation. It is preferable for road financing to be
attuned to what the country can afford, and the available road funds
should be equitably and rationally distributed according to the physical
planning needs. The most advantageous means of collecting money for the
funding of road programmes is by means of a dedicated road fund which
should be administered by a central road authority, namely the proposed
South African Roads Board. It would be this Board's task to execute
strategic and financial planning, and also monitor and co-ordinate the
provision of roads, of the total road infrastructure in South Africa. The
provincial road authorities will continue to execute the provincial road
programmes, that is to design, construct and maintain the road network,
and would include the national road network. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1988.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/9689 |
| Date | January 1988 |
| Creators | De Sousa, Manuel Salvador. |
| Contributors | Coetzee, W. A. J. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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