Repairs and maintenance of Class I roads cost CZK 62.5 billion. A third of these roads remained in a substandard and disrepair state

Almost one-third of the length of Class I roads, which are mainly intended for long-distance and interstate transport, were in an inadequate and disrepair condition in our country between 2021 and 2023. This is despite the fact that the Roads and Motorways Directorate (ŘSD) received CZK 6.9 billion more than originally planned for the repair and maintenance of these roads between 2018 and 2023, thus spending a total of CZK 62.5 billion. This was revealed by an audit of the SAO, which scrutinised spending on repairs and maintenance of Class I roads. In a sample of 57 audited projects, no inappropriate spending of funds was found.

On roads in the "unsatisfactory and disrepair" category, there are defects such as potholes, cracks, rutting, potholes, etc. The auditors found that in repairing defects, in some cases, the RDSD proceeded uneconomically. For example, a pothole on a road in Bilina was repaired seven times in a row temporarily, always in winter. Only the eighth repair, carried out after almost 4.5 years in June 2023, was already permanent. Auditors found a similar practice in Pardubice. Here, the Regional Directorate of Transport repaired the roadway at one place four times in succession, always in winter, i.e. temporarily. This condition lasted for two years. Moreover, in January 2023 it turned out that the temporary road repair lasted less than one month.

Current and objective information on the condition of roads is to be provided by the "Pavement Management System". It should then be used to plan road repairs as well as road maintenance in the most cost-effective way. Although the RDSD purchased the system for 179 million CZK, it is not worth the cost of the system. CZK 179 in 2019, it expects its full use in 2027 at the earliest.

As the auditors discovered, even the construction and technical condition of the first class roads was not properly mapped. The main inspections of the condition of the roads were carried out by the Regional Directorate of Transport in violation of the legal regulations, as they did not monitor the entire road body, did not register and monitor all drainage facilities, traffic signs, etc. The SAO's finding is illustrated by the following example: in 2018, a total of 25 km of Class I roads were registered as being in "unsatisfactory and disrepair" condition for selected road sections. Three years later, 1,298 km of Class I roads were already in a state of disrepair. According to the inspectors, in 2018, the Road Directorate did not carry out the main inspections correctly and objectively, because the increase of more than 5,000 % between 2018 and 2021 is not credible.

Class I roads are publicly accessible roads, intended mainly for long-distance and interstate transport. According to the records of the Regional Directorate of Transport as of 1 July 2023, the network of Class I roads consisted of 69 roads with a total length of 5,745.9 km.

ŘSD chose an uneconomical procedure when awarding a public contract for the selection of a supplier of asphalt compacted layers. The estimated value of the contract, determined according to the applicable price standard, should have been around CZK 23.9 million. CZK. RDSD received a bid from a single bidder - i.e. without any other competition - with a price exceeding this price standard by 48 %. Although the RDSD did not have to rush to select a contractor and conclude a framework agreement, as similar repairs are not carried out in winter, it concluded a framework agreement with this single bidder in October 2019. The works, for which the RDSD eventually paid CZK 42.8 million, were completed in October 2019. The work started in April 2020.

The SAO audit also revealed that the Ministry of Transport has not fulfilled its legal obligation to keep a central register of roads for 17 years, i.e. since 2007. Owners and users of roads and competent administrative authorities cannot fully use information on road closures, detours, traffic restrictions, etc. on all categories of roads. The SAO has already criticised this fact in control action No 19/10.

SAO/ gnews - RoZ

ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO - pixabay