Analysis of road maintenance equipment management in Uganda: A case of Uganda local governments

Abstract

The study was conducted to analyze RME management system in Uganda. The study had three main objectives namely to identify the current state of RME management systems in the local government, establish factors responsible for ineffective and inefficient RME maintenance culture in local governments and to propose a RME management system that can reduce on the high cost of mechanized road maintenance; high rates of equipment failures, equipment inefficiency, equipment downtime and equipment maintenance cost. A cross-sectional research design that was descriptive and cross-sectional in nature was used in the survey. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected from Uganda local government, analyzed and the challenges identified. The study population used for this research comprised of the key personnel who are involved in RME management in local governments. The key personnel involved in RME management were identified as: - Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, Local Councilors, District Engineers, Mechanical Foremen, and Mechanics. The major findings are that local governments in Uganda have challenges in RME management. The major challenges were identified as inefficiency in:- optimization available funds, personnel, facilities and equipment. There is an ineffective equipment maintenance management methods; inaccurate equipment maintenance record, improper maintenance decision making; poor identification of equipment maintenance requirements, lack of standardized maintenance procedures; some RME are not fit for use, unsafe and are kept in an inefficient working order; and RME management strategies that can ensure equipment productive capacity are not identified. It is recommended that, in order to manage RME properly, there is need to have a good equipment management system in place whereby facilities, systems or equipment are kept in functional and safe conditions at minimum costs. This can be done by making incentives for staff members through training in RME management courses and its applications. The staff should be encouraged to use RME management systems that save effort and time during service delivery. There should also be a strong culture of RME maintenance in local government and this must be the responsibility of everyone in the districts and urban councils but not limited to the maintenance department only. These approaches can be improved further by using quality parts and safety in maintenance, focusing on reliability-centered maintenance, reducing maintenance cost and frequency, reducing down time periods and by taking into account equipment maintainability.