Inadequate Funding for Infrastructure: French Mayors Warn of Poor Road Maintenance Due to Limited Financing, per the AMF
Securing Funding for Transport Infrastructure: A Fresh Approach
In France, our aging infrastructure, including railways, bridges, stations, and roads, is rapidly deteriorating, and the Association of French Mayors (AMF) cautions that a collapse could be imminent. To address this crisis, the Prime Minister is hosting a conference in Marseille to brainstorm potential solutions that won't strain the state's finances.
At this conference, dubbed "Ambition France Transports," the AMF is urging the state to rethink its economic and financial model for a fairer, more equitable solution. Frédéric Cuillerier, co-president of the AMF's transport, mobility, and roads commission, offers several innovative avenues to secure much-needed funds.
One option Cuillerier proposes is seizing municipal police fines. Currently, police pull in fines but municipals only receive a small fraction of these penalties. Another idea involves collaborating with utility companies, such as electricity, gas, and fiber providers, that heavily rely on roads. Finally, Cuillerier suggests reevaluating revenue streams from motorway concessions since motorway exits lead to communal or intercommunal roads.
Looking beyond the AMF's suggestions, frugal innovation—using existing resources efficiently while creatively adapting solutions to societal needs—is a strategy gaining traction worldwide to enhance public spending with limited funds. Another avenue isPublic-Private Partnerships (PPPs), where private investors collaborate with public entities on infrastructure projects, which has been successful in other regions.
As societies become more social responsible, integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into infrastructure procurement can attract new funding opportunities. Meanwhile, improving procurement efficiency through digital solutions could also help streamline processes and reduce costs, attracting investors and making projects more attractive to fund.
International funding agreements can also help France secure necessary funds for its transport infrastructure. For instance, Iraq recently partnered with France for sanitation infrastructure projects, a model that could be adapted for transport infrastructure as well.
Embracing these ideas, France could develop a unique, innovative funding model to safeguard its transport infrastructure. By combining elements of frugal innovation, PPPs, and international cooperation, while also considering ESG factors and improving procurement efficiency, the future of French transport looks promising.
- In the quest for securing funds for France's deteriorating transportation infrastructure, the Association of French Mayors (AMF) proposes that revenue streams for motorway concessions could be reevaluated, as motorway exits lead to communal or intercommunal roads.
- To foster a more equitable economic and financial model, Frédéric Cuillerier, co-president of the AMF's transport, mobility, and roads commission, envisions a collaboration between the state and utility companies, such as electricity, gas, and fiber providers, that heavily rely on transportation networks.
- As the world turns toward social responsibility, integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into infrastructure procurement could attract new funding opportunities for the transportation sector in France, and international funding agreements, like the one recently formed between Iraq and France for sanitation infrastructure projects, provide a potential avenue for securing necessary funds.
