IT Transport Ltd (ITT) is actively providing technical capacity to the Ethiopian Roads Administration-Roads Research Centre. With over 170,000 km of road network, and more than 15% (25,500 km) of that paved, Ethiopian roads are the subject of considerable development and improvement regimes. The latest Road Sector Development Plan (RSDP) underscores the urgent need to minimise transport costs through significant reductions of road user and agency costs. This requires strategic analyses of the road network for technical and economic project appraisals, and associated research studies, which entails the application of robust, universally accepted and transparent road investment tools. In Ethiopia, the Highway Development and Management software model (HDM-4) is the preferred decision support tool for the planning and management of the road network.

Through the ongoing Technical Assistance support led by ITT, the Transport / Traffic Specialist (Dick Komakech) and  Statistician / Data Manager (Jacques Phedonos) have embarked on the delivery of a comprehensive HDM-4 training programme to staff of the Ethiopian Roads Administration (ERA) and the Road Research Centre (RRC). The training, which comprises a series of packages to be delivered over the next 12 months, is designed to build the capacity and expertise of local engineers, economists and data scientists, from both ERA and RRC, to sustainably develop and manage the Ethiopian road network.

ITT is confident that the concerted training will stimulate ERA’s performance to improve the road provision service, such that it responds better to the transport demand and generates substantial benefits to the economy