Transport Infrastructure Appraisal

The book "Transport Infrastructure Appraisal" by Shedrack Wellin Willilo offers a comprehensive analysis of conventional cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in the context of road assessment in developing countries. It demonstrates that the common approach, which considers the vehicle operating cost (VOC) as the sole criterion for justifying investments in road infrastructure, does not adequately capture the actual benefits of road projects. This is particularly true in rural areas, where roads are often in poor condition and traffic volume is low, highlighting the importance of this infrastructure for the transport of agricultural products, access to educational institutions and health services, as well as the improvement of the communities' quality of life. The book suggests integrating socioeconomic benefits into the evaluation of road investments to obtain a more complete picture of the potential impacts. It utilizes the World Bank-recommended assessment tool HDM-4 to optimize the methodology for developing countries.