Costs and benefits of road maintenance financing

Intensive analysis and data collection over the last 10-15 years suggest that the largest benefits of road maintenance accrue not to the road authorities but rather to the vehicle operators in the form of cost savings. The vehicle operating costs are as a rule the dominant factor in reaching optimal road maintenance policy choices. Some standard engineering practices have very different economic effects in different circumstances. Planning and strategy issues must therefore be explored for each country on the basis of its own particular conditions.