It pays to maintain our highways and roads

All road users of the Highlands Highway will be required to pay for the use of the road, so says Works and Transport Minister Don Polye last week.
The reconstruction report shows a positive approach by PNG LNG developer ExxonMobil.
I think it is a good idea to find ways to fund and maintain national roads on a self-sustainable approach.
A user pay model used by many developed countries has proven effective.
The Asian Development Bank has done an extensive research on toll fee on commercially-operated toll roads and concluded that a toll road attracts users because they know that even though they have pay, they save money because the road is efficient.
Toll is imposed, unfortunately, on highways that are heavily used while most roads fall under the road agency’s care.
Road maintenance does not place a heavy burden on the government or the economy.
The fact is spending too little or nothing on road maintenance, as in the case of Papua New Guinea, will pose a greater burden on the economy. 

 
David Nugi
Japan