Urban Roads

DEPARTMENT OF URBAN ROADS

The Department of Urban Roads was established in 1988 under the Ministry of Roads and Highways and has the mandate to set up Road Units in the Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies and supported them to construct, maintain and manage traffic on the urban network before the passage of L.I 1961.

With the setting up of the Local Government Service by the Local Governance Act of 2016, Act 936, with Amendment Act 940, which completely decentralizes roads and transport functions to the Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies (MMDAs), the Regional Offices were set up in 2014 to manage assigned major/minor and some collector/distributor road networks in urban areas in the regions. The offices also provide technical backstopping to the Metropolitan/Municipal/District Roads Departments (MMDRDs) to ensure capacity is developed within. The Regional Offices coordinate and monitor the activities of the MMDRDs to ensure the delivery of quality transport systems in the cities on behalf of the Ministry of Roads and Highways through the DUR Head Office and the Road Fund Board (RFB).

Organogram of the Department of Urban Roads

Mission Statement

To provide a cost-effective and sustainable integrated urban road transport system to ensure accessibility, safety and reliability for national development.

 Vision Statement

To attain an efficient cost-effective and sustainable integrated urban road transport system responsive to societal needs.

 Objectives

The specific objectives of the Department of Urban Roads are as follows:

  1. To reduce the average travel time on the arterial roads in each region;
  2. To progressively reduce the walking and waiting time for public transport in low income communities in each region
  3. To strengthen the capacity of the Regional Departments to manage arterial and sensitive collectors and also coordinate the operations of road transport systems in each region;
  4. To develop and apply social, economic and environmental criteria for the selection of projects;
  5. To progressively improve the environmental conditions along roads in each region;
  6. To collaborate with other institutions to reduce the number of accidents with fatalities and serious injuries in the urban areas;
  7. To progressively improve the proportion of the road network in good condition

Functions

The functions of the Regional Department of Urban Roads (RDUR) are as follows;

  1. Overall management of the arterial/collector road network within the region.
  2. The co-ordination of activities of the urban road departments within the region and report on same to the Regional Co-ordinating Council.
  3. Providing technical backstopping for road development for the urban road departments of the MMDAs.
  4. Ensuring consistency in standards and specifications of the urban road network as indicated in the Ministry of Roads and Highways guidelines.
  5. Periodic monitoring and evaluation of the regional urban road network to ensure quality of work and make recommendations for further development.