The Policy for Maintenance of National and Rural Roads Network in Albania

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of Territorial Reform on the maintenance of national and rural roads and makes recommendations regarding the implementation of maintenance under the new organisational structure. The background and logic behind those recommendations is elaborated in the body of the paper through summarising the principal actions and policies required to be adopted in order to achieve a proper standards of road maintenance under the new territorial strategy system of local government. It is important to recognise that the roads which will fall under the responsibility of the new bodies are just a part of the overall road system. They should not be considered in isolation and in some respects it is desirable that national policies and standards be adopted which will cover the whole of the road system. In these areas it is important that policy development take place in the context of cooperation between the various responsible institutions, primarily Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Local Issues, Albanian Roads Authority( ARA), Albanian Development Fund (ADF) and the new local government authorities, the LGA s.