Opinion

The sad condition of our roads

November 21, 2018
The sad condition of our roads

Ibrahim Kutbi

Okaz

The phenomenon of subcontracting by big companies that are awarded road projects is part of the problem. They all take their share of profits but none of them are ready to shoulder any share of responsibility.

MANY of the roads in our big and small cities do not need heavy rainfall to expose their pitiable construction.

The poor nature of maintenance work on some of these roads can be seen within weeks and, sometimes, days. This forces us to ask why this situation is repeated again and again, and where lies the problem.

No matter what are the problems or who is responsible for them, the sad state of affairs on our roads continues without a break.

Some might ask what happens to road maintenance after the signing of contracts between the concerned municipalities and contracting companies.

It does not take an expert to realize that paving of roads is not for decoration. The authorities know that the roads are an important part of the nation›s infrastructure that helps not only in development but also in extending civic services to the people.

In any case, the roadwork has to be of high quality. Sadly, some of our roads are poorly constructed and receive bad maintenance. They are randomly dug up for installing service lines. It is as if we are given the lowest quality of service for the highest of prices.

The road maintenance is costing the government a lot. The maintenance costs are getting higher and higher but we continue to suffer from the poor quality of work. The roads get damaged in the event of a drizzle or with the passing of even small cars, which will create holes and cracks all over.

The phenomenon of subcontracting by big companies that are awarded road projects is part of the problem. They all take their share of profits but none of them are ready to shoulder any share of responsibility.

Another issue, which is hard to understand, is the public utility companies digging up roads in an irresponsible manner to install their services. They do not return the roads to their past condition. Instead, they do a rush job and fix the roads in a very bad way, which leads us to the question: where is the supervising authority?

Some companies request permission to install their services but leave the holes open for a long period of time, causing chaos on the road. They hand over the job of covering the holes to other contractors, who do it in a very bad way because they are not accountable to anyone.

We are used to seeing these companies covering the holes in a haphazard manner and not returning the road back to its original condition to ensure the safety of cars and their occupants. This is why our roads turn into lakes every time it rains. And on top of it all, there is no proper drainage system in our cities.

Some of these problems are repeated in residential projects as well. Why can›t we make the big company being awarded the contract responsible for executing the project and delivering it with high standards and specifications, instead of awarding it to several companies that complete the work over a long period of time. We expect innovative ideas from the municipalities to reflect the beauty of our urban environment and the civilized nature of our cities.

Officials do not remain psychologically aloof in their daily life. How could they not see the eye pollution on our roads? We do not see such conditions in many countries around the world and no such deformity exists on their roads.

The solution for this may be to privatize the operation and maintenance of roads in order to ensure a high quality of service.


November 21, 2018
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