THE APPRAISAL OF RURAL FEEDER ROADS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

The general economic and social environment in which rural roads must be planned is examined, and evaluation techniques that have been applied or could be used in developing countries are considered. The limited, local incidence of transport characteristic of subsistence agriculture, roads within a planned regional agricultural development scheme, transport costs, and crop movement are discussed as well as personal mobility, non-agricultural goods movement, and the nature of the rural road production function. The user cost savings approach to transport project appraisal is described in which benefits are estimated in terms of the difference in operating costs associated with normal traffic. The user cost savings with increased agricultural output is a popular method of appriasing feeder road projects. The user cost benefit with generated traffic and induced output is also described. A simple agricultural model is outlined which involves prediction of benefits and depends upon a knowledge of changes in transport rather than an ability to predict future traffic levels. The application of general equilibrium models of the economy to indicate structural change following road investment is described as well as some other approaches.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in "Transport Planning in Developing Countries," which is a publication containing the Proceedings of Seminar U of the Summer Annual Meeting at University of Warwick, England during July, 1975.
• Corporate Authors:

  Planning and Transport Res and Computation Co Ltd

  167 Oxford Street
  London W1R 1AH,   England 
• Authors:
  • HINE, J L
• Publication Date: 1975-7

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 141-152
• Serial:
  • Publication of: IRCOBI SECRETARIAT
  • Publisher: IRCOBI (International Research Council on the Biokinetics of Impacts)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Developing countries; Highway planning; Mathematical models; Rural highways; Socioeconomic factors; Travel budgets
• Uncontrolled Terms: Feeders; Models; Road user costs
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00148234
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: P128
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 23 1977 12:00AM