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CIGR Handbook of Agricultural Engineering, Volume I Land and Water Engineering, Part 3.1 Overview, and Part 3.2 Rural Road Development in a Wider Context

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  CIGR Handbook of Agricultural Engineering, Volume I Land and Water Engineering, Part 3.1 Overview, and Part 3.2 Rural Road Development in a Wider Cont  .(doi:10.13031/2013.36294)
Authors:   A. P. Wolleswinkel, C. F. Jaarsma
Keywords:   Section headings: 3.2.1 Introduction, 3.2.2 Rural Road Networks and LTRs, 3.2.3 Classification of (Rural) Roads, 3.2.4 Rural Traffic Problems and the Need for Planning

First paragraph: A rural road network creates many contradictions. The presence of a well-developed road network in a region is a conditio sine qua non for economic development and efficient access to and use of land resources. Accessibility of rural areas and mobility for the rural people are also social aims. Simultaneously, the presence of the road network and its traffic flows often can have harmful effects. The problems that are encountered in this context may be approached in two ways: quantitatively and qualitatively. Both aspects occur everywhere, but may have especially large effects in less developed countries. Remoteness, isolation, and inaccessibility are the key characteristics of many rural regions in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America. A lack of sufficient roads, both qualitatively and quantitatively, results in a bad transportation system, leading to economic and social losses. Another problem in these countries constitutes the impacts due to the disturbed balance between the road functions and maintenance. In industrialized countries, the quantitative aspect is less important than the qualitative aspect. Emissions and noise affect local people, flora, and fauna. There also is the problem of traffic safety on rural roads with low capacities, because of high traffic speeds. Terms such as remoteness and isolation vary with national living standards. In Australia, the extensive use of air transport and radio links brings the most distant farm into easy communication with essential services. On the other hand, in much of Southeast Asia, even the bicycle is beyond the means of many villagers. Thus, these terms need to be handled with caution. It is too complex to restrict these terms to developing nations alone [1].

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