Who maintains the county roads?

Previously, the management, maintenance and upkeep of district roads were assigned to the District Traffic Department. However, since the dissolution of the District Traffic Department, many localities have not yet organized bidding to select service providers (photo provided by the facility).

Hai Duong province currently has more than 620 district roads, nearly 800 km long. In recent years, the management, maintenance and upkeep of district and urban road systems have received attention from localities. However, the implementation methods in each locality are still different.

From 2024 onwards, the management, maintenance and upkeep of roads in the districts will be undertaken by the District Traffic Divisions. Before January 1, 2025, the whole province had 9 districts maintaining the Traffic Division model, including: Kim Thanh, Nam Sach, Thanh Ha, Tu Ky, Ninh Giang, Gia Loc, Thanh Mien, Binh Giang and Cam Giang. The District People's Committee assigned the Traffic Divisions to implement the project in the form of assignment, without bidding. Operating costs are allocated from the state budget. The divisions themselves make plans, organize implementation, and inspect and accept. Most of the budget is only enough to pay salaries for civil servants and workers, so the efficiency is not high.

In Hai Duong City, the urban road management, maintenance and repair services are ordered by the Hai Duong City People's Committee to the City Transport Enterprise. The enterprise operates under a self-financing mechanism, performing many services such as maintenance, repair, road marking, cleaning, watering the road surface, repairing traffic signs, etc.

The two localities that soon switched to bidding to select contractors to provide road maintenance services were Chi Linh City and Kinh Mon Town. In 2012, Chi Linh Traffic Department was transformed into Chi Linh Traffic, Environment and Urban Management One Member Co., Ltd. In 2015, The company was equitized and transformed into Chi Linh Urban, Environment and Transport Joint Stock Company. The unit participated in the bidding to provide public services such as road maintenance and repair, environmental sanitation, park management and operation, lighting systems, cemeteries, etc. for Chi Linh City.

"The company provides many public services to Chi Linh City through bidding. The unit always completes 100% of the plan, while developing many more industries to increase income for the company's staff and workers," said Mr. Do Duy Duong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Chi Linh Transport, Environment and Urban Joint Stock Company.

In 2021, Kinh Mon Town Traffic Department was dissolved, then Kinh Mon Town Environment and Public Services Joint Stock Company was established. From 2023, the road maintenance and repair service was implemented by Kinh Mon Town People's Committee through bidding. Kinh Mon Town Environment and Public Services Joint Stock Company was the winning bidder. The initial results were very positive as the service quality improved, the process was clear, and the budget was saved.

A representative of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Affairs Department of Kinh Mon town said that the entire town currently has about 100 km of district and urban roads. The quality of road maintenance and repair after bidding is better than before, the process is clearer than before when the Traffic Department both constructed and supervised.

From January 1, 2025, the Traffic Departments of 9 districts will be dissolved. The Provincial People's Committee Department of Transport (now the Department of Construction) guides localities to organize bidding for traffic infrastructure maintenance in the districts. According to the Department of Construction's instructions, the districts will receive all infrastructure assets from the districts, and at the same time organize appraisal, approve service prices and conduct bidding according to regulations.

Up to now, only Ninh Giang district has organized a bidding to select a contractor to provide maintenance services for the district's roads after the Transport Department was dissolved. The remaining localities are planning for this. While the bidding has not been organized to select a contractor to provide the service, the districts themselves will organize cleaning and sanitizing important locations.

Chi Linh Transport, Environment and Urban Joint Stock Company develops many industries to increase income for officers and employees.

The public service of maintenance and upkeep of district and urban road systems has been changed from assignment to bidding in accordance with the law. This is an important step contributing to improving the effectiveness of state management in the field of road maintenance and upkeep.

When the district-level administrative unit ends its operation, the decentralization of management of district and urban roads will also be adjusted. Accordingly, the new competent management unit will be responsible for organizing bidding for road maintenance and repair work to ensure traffic safety on the roads, aiming to build a synchronous, clean and safe traffic system.

NGA LONG

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/ai-bao-duong-duong-huyen-410830.html