The contribution of the road transport network to supporting development: The case of the Wilaya of M'sila, Algeria

Abstract

The paper evaluates the development and the capacities of action of the road network, in particular, its degree of density and accessibility in specific years of 1998 and 2017, in the Wilaya of M'sila, (Algeria). This paper aims to understand the extent of the contribution of this network to support the development in this region. To identify the municipal socio-economic profile, 41 indicators were used, 6 to determine the road density, and 5 to measure the accessibility. After comparing the results in the previously specified years, it was found that there was an improvement in the density, which included 10 municipalities, accompanied by a clear and repeated positive development in 7 of the 41 development indicators in these 10 municipalities, in terms of accessibility, an improvement was noted in 7 municipalities, attached to 8 notable and repeated indicators. The results also showed that the spatial distribution of road networks does not present a clear trend, it does not necessarily tend towards a geographical dependence, where are the grand urban localities, or the lower rank localities. In addition, the contribution of road networks to socio-economic factors are sometimes absent, and when it is present, it varies according to the location or characteristics of the road network (density/accessibility). In the case of density, the support consisted of a decrease in migration rates, and a significant increase in birth rates, in addition to an improvement in economic indicators. However, in the case of accessibility, its contribution is somewhat different, since what distinguishes it is that it helps to attract facilities, to choose the best location.