Social actions in support of the periodic maintenance work on the RN2
Project : Projet Asa Soa
Finance by : Union Européenne
Start of intervention : April 2003
End of intervention : May 2006

The ASA Soa Project is a program estimate of social actions to accompany the periodic maintenance work on the RN2 between Brickaville and Toamasina. It is part of the first social actions initiated by the Ministry of Public Works, based on the observation that the life span of the roads is too short compared to the forecasts. Indeed, degradation, whether involuntary or not, is undertaken by local residents and users of the national road, and moreover the stakeholders are not involved in the preservation of the roads.

The objective of the project is therefore to create favorable conditions so that the local population and road users have the necessary capacities to be stakeholders in the preservation of road investments.

The problems to be solved and the answers provided by the project were the following:

Occupation of the right-of-way by housing, commercial activities and garbage.

This problem is due to ignorance and non-compliance with the laws governing roads, the laxity of the authorities concerned and especially the poverty of the local residents.

  • 2 Workshops on road preservation,
  • Support for the establishment and application of municipal by-laws on the respect of the right-of-way,
  • Development of 2 markets,
  • Actions on the Toamasina city's garbage industry: Study on garbage collection, environmental impact
  • study on the use of the Sarimasina landfill,
  • development of access to the landfill, construction of garbage bins.
  • Numerous accidents due to speeding and dangerous parking.

Most users make frequent stops between Brickaville and Toamasina in villages where economic activities are intense (market, restaurant, cash crop disposal points, etc.).

  • Installation of 2 police lookouts,
  • Awareness Brochure,
  • 2 parking areas (work carried out as part of the major works) and 20 parking spaces,
  • 3 shower / latrine units in preferential stop areas,
  • Traffic signs.
  • Unfavourable social and economic environment.

This social and economic environment leads mainly to the development of small businesses related to road traffic and roadside prostitution. Women, too busy with family care, do not have much time for productive activities.

Improved access to drinking water: 7 wells (pumps provided by UNICEF / MEM) and 2 standpipes,
Diversification of household incomes for displaced and poorest populations (IGA agriculture, livestock, sewing, handicrafts and gargote),
Training in sales techniques for plot associations,
Action to fight AIDS: 4 AIDS Point Houses, awareness raising per village (video, theater, cinemas ...)
Improving access to education: Reconstruction of an PPE erected by parents, access stairs, pedestrian bridge
Destruction of the physical environment

The landslides that regularly cause the RN 2 to be cut off are due to the degradation of the watersheds in the immediate vicinity of the road.

Development of embankments
Green spaces in the city of Toamasina