Research consultancy
HAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) involve the acquisition, storage, analysis, and visualization of spatial data. By integrating diverse datasets—geographic, demographic, environmental, and infrastructural—GIS provides a powerful platform for understanding complex spatial interactions, particularly in highway systems (Zhao, Mbachu, & Liu, 2022). Its application enhances strategic planning and decision-making in transport, offering spatial intelligence crucial for effective road maintenance and infrastructure optimization (Le & Jeong, 2022).
Over the past two decades, GIS has become an essential tool in global transportation planning (Subedi, Chou, & Williams, 2022). Governments worldwide have increased investment in GIS-supportive information technologies, with global IT spending reaching nearly $5 trillion. Countries like the United States alone allocate over $70 billion annually to IT services supporting GIS implementation.
Highway planning is a multifaceted process that demands a shift from traditional approaches to more dynamic, data-driven methodologies (Rajaduraj & Vilventhan, 2022). Long-term transportation strategies now consider investment priorities, environmental impacts, and network-level decision-making (Zhao, Liu, & Mbachu, 2019). Policy instruments like the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (1991) and the Transportation Equity Act (1998) mandated integration of GIS and other technologies into transport planning.
GIS for Transportation (GIS-T) enables scenario modeling, allowing agencies to simulate the outcomes of policy shifts and infrastructure investments (Le & Jeong, 2022). Since its conceptualization in the 1970s and emergence into mainstream use in the late 1980s (Elhashash, Albanwan, & Qin, 2022), GIS-T has supported functions such as infrastructure management, safety analysis, traffic modeling, and environmental assessment.
In Africa, GIS applications in highway planning are increasingly prominent, especially in urban transit networks (Aravind et al., 2017). Uganda’s National Roads Authority (UNRA) has adopted GIS-T tools for planning, route analysis, accident mapping, and infrastructure monitoring in metropolitan areas like Kampala (Owusu & Essandoh, 2018). UNRA’s GIS implementations include traffic management, demand forecasting, route optimization, and environmental impact evaluation (Kayondo-ndhandiko et al., 2010).
Across the continent, GIS applications are growing. In South Africa, GIS facilitated environmentally sensitive design for the highway between Johannesburg and Durban (Eria & Marikannan, 2019). Kenya’s transport authority uses GIS to map accident hotspots and guide safety interventions (Elhaji & Ochieng, 2021). Nigeria’s road agency applies GIS for real-time condition monitoring and maintenance scheduling (Abou-shaara et al., 2013).
In Uganda, GIS is leveraged by agencies such as UNRA and the Ministry of Works and Transport to collect, analyze, and visualize spatial data for road planning. For instance, GIS helps identify accident-prone areas and prioritize safety measures like signage, barriers, and lighting (Atwongyeire et al., 2022). Despite these advancements, challenges persist, including inadequate data infrastructure, funding limitations, limited technical capacity, and institutional bottlenecks (Odongo, 2017; Watson et al., 2021).
The successful adoption of GIS requires significant investment in infrastructure, training, and skilled personnel. Uganda continues to face obstacles such as unreliable internet, high software costs, and a shortage of GIS specialists. Addressing these challenges is essential to fully realize GIS’s potential in improving Uganda’s transportation network.
