During the 16th session of the National Road Board held on May 27, 2014, board members focused on ways of improving the country’s road network system.

Prime Minister Philemon Yang who is also the Chairman of the National Road Board (CONAROUTE) has called on the members to speed up measures in the area of improving the country’s road network. He chaired the 16th session of CONAROUTE yesterday, May 27, 2014 organized to enable contracting and delegate officials in the road sector to present reports on road works to be validated and 2014 programming done.

The Prime Minister in his opening statement stressed on the fact that quality measures be drafted to optimise resources generated through the road to reduce in a significant manner the cost of road inputs, use of substitute products to classical tar, revamping the Road Fund, doubling efforts to curb accidents caused by heavy-duty vehicles, strengthening the capacities of local authorities within the decentralization process to procure civil engineering equipment and creation of regional agencies of the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LABOGENIE).

The main innovation made while at the session was the presence of the Government Delegates to the Bamenda and Ebolowa City Councils. Mr Yang urged the board members to reflect on how to reduce the cost of road construction inputs that will enable a drop in the cost of constructing a kilometre of road from the current FCFA 200 million in Cameroon to the average African standard of FCFA 100 million. He also prescribed the use to approved local materials in tarring roads.

Concerning revamping the Road Fund, he called on members to make use of the novelties instituted by the decree of January 16, 2014 to lay down the terms and conditions for financing works governed by the Road Fund and the decree of March 19, 2014 on the regulations governing intervention in urban road networks. The public administrations in charge of road safety on their part, will have to redouble efforts in checking heavy duty vehicles in order to reduce accidents they cause.

Talking to the press after the meeting, the Minister of Public Works, Patrice Amba Salla said he proposed innovations in programming road construction works whose contracts are usually launched following the calendar year and that penalizes work. He disclosed that he was asked to work in collaboration with LABOGENIE officials towards the creation of the institution’s regional agencies for road projects all over to benefit from the expertise of LABOGENIE.