An Integrated Geographical Information and Road Asset Management System for road transport network sustainability in developing countries

Road network investment in emerging countries has not been able to keep up with demand. As a result, developing methods for managing the road network, including effective project programming to make the best possible use of limited money, has become increasingly vital. However, in the 1960s, the World Bank initiated model developments to guide investment decisions on road infrastructure in developing nations, which gained traction since most of these investments are supported by donor agencies. A significant issue in introducing these models or systems in developing countries is the lack of a comprehensive priority subsystem as a program and monetary planning tool. The essential functions of such a tool are to detect the network status at various points in time, empower requirements identification, and evaluate multiple policies on a temporary but detailed basis within the context of network management. This paper presents a practical and comprehensive system to deal with the above problem. The paper's Geographical Information and Road Asset Management System (GIRAMS) is a Web-based integrated system that provides enhanced operational efficiency for road funding agencies and their implementation partners in the proper management of the road networks and ancillary infrastructures. The subsystem, Advanced Road Asset Management (ARAMS), was developed to conform to the interface of HDM-4, RONET, and RED for Economic Analysis. In addition to these subsystems, the RAMS is enriched with analytical tools such as Asset Valuation, Budgeting, and Multi-Year Work Programming. In addition, predictive models such as Road Deterioration and Work Effects Models were also built into the ARAMS.