Paper presented at the 32nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 8-11 July 2013 "Transport and Sustainable Infrastructure", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.
Deteriorating road conditions can potentially have negative effects on road user costs. This
is mainly due to the increased vibrations experienced by vehicles travelling on poor roads
resulting in additional structural damages. The negative effects of deteriorating road
conditions extend far beyond their impact on businesses, with deteriorating road conditions
ultimately having a negative impact on the economy and competitiveness of a country.
This paper discusses a method developed for the analysis of the national impact of
inadequate riding quality on major freight corridors, and demonstrates the need to ensure
that these corridors are maintained in a good condition.