การศึกษาดำเนินงานด้านการบำรุงรักษาทางหลวงของกรมทางหลวง / อาภารัตน์ โสภณโภไคย = A study on the operation of highway maintenance of the department of highways / Arbharat Sobhonbhokai
The main goal of this thesis is to study the operations of highway maintenance by the Department of Highways within the Ministry of Communications. This thesis has three objectives: to study the operations of highway maintenance under the responsibilities of Department of Highways, to determine the underlying problems and difficulties of the operations, and to propose some resolutions in order to improve those operations. This is a survey research. In the preliminary stage the secondary data is collected by means of a questionnaire. Following that, an observation is made during the staffs’ operations and the staff is interviewed. The results conclude quite clear that there are still some unresolved problems and hindranoes in the operations of highway maintenance. The data and information from this study are used to formulate and suggest solutions to these problems. There is a problem involving inadequate funds for maintenance allotted by the government budget. This study suggests that the Department of Highways should figure its budget proposal by using an Engineering-Economics Method which is understood by most national-finance controller who are, for the most part, economists. These men could then explain the budget proposal to the directors to convince him of the rational of the budget request for efficient highway maintenance. Then the government may possibly increase the budget for highway maintenance. There is a problem of inadequate data for efficient maintenance work. The study proposes that the maintenance division should implement computers to collect data which otherwise demands too much man-power. In addition, if data is collected by computer, further research of the data is facilitated since the computers can utilize stored information to plan maintenance work within reason. Finally, this survey reveals that another major problem has occurred within the maintenance division due to unclear job descriptions of responsibilities of that division. There fore, the maintenance division should clarify and delegate its duties and responsibilities. The maintenance division should assume responsibility for routine highway maintenance, for the four regions’ work, for traffic-service operations, for vehicle weight-limit stations, and for fees’ stations.
