185. The standard transport indexes of ton-ki~ometres and passenger-kilometres are nowhere collected in a regular and reli­ able manner for road traffic in developing African countries. It is however known that a substantial share of total traffic in these countries continues to be moved by road, even though in most countries the growth of road traffic is seriously con­ strainec by shortages of spare parts, inadequate maintenance· facilities ana poor maintenance stanaarcs, high operation costs, the scarcity and occasional rationin£ of ~uel and the extremely poor condition of the Ereater part of the road network, all of which leave a large proportion of the motor fleet immobilized for l n € peri cos. 186. Only preliminary estimates are available en railway traffic in 1981. The eeneral impression is that traffic in ton- kilometres decreased by about· 3 per cent in 1981. On the other hand, passenger-kilometres carried increased by about 1.8 per cent over the 1980 figures (see table IV.E.1). Traffic growth has been steady in only a few countries; in most growth either stagnated or was erratic. The recession in the industrialized countries, which has resul te c in lower volumes of African ex­ ports, together with probable competition from roads, to a large extent explain the sluggish performance of the railway sector in the period t:nder review. It should however be noted that fuel costs, and rail transport costs in generaJ., have increased sig­ nifican~ly over the past siY years, and it is apparent that the inherent advantage of rail over roac transport has not been demonstrated in the past few years. 187. 1.1 acoition to basic CeSi£11 anc other technical problems most African raih:ays continued to face the problem of shortages of rolling-stock ana other eouipment, peer maintenance of equip­
**Analysis**
The text discusses the challenges faced by road and railway transportation in developing African countries, including shortages of spare parts, inadequate maintenance, and high operation costs. It also touches on the impact of recession in industrialized countries on African exports and the competitiveness of rail transport. This suggests that the category should be related to economic development and transportation.

**Category**
Transport and communication, Economic development