The cost of South Africa’s road maintenance backlog is nearing R417-billion, research undertaken by the University of Cape Town’s School of Economics academics Don Ross and Matthew Townshend have found. This is more than double the amount set out in the South African National Roads Agency’s Committee of Transport Officials’ (Coto’s) Condition and Budget Needs report, which is still being used as a reference today, which estimates the backlog at about R197-billion.