What should be done to improve the state of roads in Laos?

Facebook users have shared photos of people struggling to navigate muddy and rutted roads across the country. Even though these are arterial routes and pass through towns, they are in deplorable condition and in dire need of maintenance and repair. Vientiane Times gave members of the public the chance to voice their thoughts on this chronic problem.

Mr Vin Dala, a government official in Bokeo province: I have seen the posts on Facebook about the poor state of roads in various parts of the country. Road building is an expensive undertaking and it’s hard to get rural roads repaired when they are damaged. We have to wait a long time for repairs, and it’s bad that roads start to break up only a few years after being built or upgraded. Sometimes the authorities ask villagers to pay for the cost of repairing a road, which I think is unreasonable because how can they afford this? It’s important to counter corruption with regard to road construction, and ensure that companies win contracts fairly and carry out the work as outlined in the contract.

Ms Chansy Netthavong, a resident of Vientiane province: I think the authorities should seriously check the quality of the work carried out by construction companies, because it seems to me that they cut corners and do a lot of shoddy work, in order to cut costs. The result is poorly surfaced roads that break up in a short space of time. Companies should take part in a competitive bidding process so that the contract is awarded to the best qualified company, not for other reasons as is usually the case. And of course, the contract should be fulfilled as agreed. Contractors should be fined if they do not complete the project satisfactorily or on time, or if the quality is not up to standard and the road soon develops potholes.
 
Ms Boudsady Lathyothy, a resident of Pakngum district, Vientiane: It’s true that the quality of roads in Laos is very bad, both in local communities and on main arterial routes, which are damaged by big trucks. Many roads are also dusty in the dry season and muddy in the rainy season. I don’t know if the authorities check such things. I don’t have any experience of road construction, but I do know that what we have at present is of poor quality. If roads were built to higher standards, we would lose less money on repairs every year.
 
Mr Vaxonglor Payear, a resident of Xaysomboun province: I don’t know how much it costs to build one kilometre of road, but I have never seen any good roads in my district or anywhere else. After only a few years, the new surface starts to develop cracks and potholes. I think it’s because of the big trucks that use these roads, but on the other hand roads should be built to withstand heavy loads and should have much thicker surfaces, especially where asphalt is used. I don’t know if the Ministry of Public Works and Transport ever checks the quality of construction. Maybe they are paid off by construction companies. However, I hope they will take steps to improve the situation because it never seems to get any better.
 
Mr Xaysavard Keolounnoun, a government official in Luang Prabang province: It’s true that the quality of the roads in Laos is very poor. When they get damaged, it’s always a long time before repairs are carried out. I know the government is short of money, but good roads should be a priority. I think regulation of the construction industry is too lax, and the main concern continues to be how much money can be made by the parties involved. The authorities should pay much more attention to the quality of the work done by contractors. It’s better to spend more money at the outset rather than paying for costly repairs every year.

By Lamphone Pasanthong
(Latest Update September 6, 2022)