From Isolation to Access: Impacts of Rural Road Rehabilitation on Market Accessibility and Mobility in Nyimba and Chibombo Districts, Zambia

Abstract

Rural roads are widely recognised as a foundation for inclusive rural development, yet evidence on how rehabilitation shapes everyday mobility and market accessibility at the district level remains limited. This paper examines and compares the intermediate impacts of rural road rehabilitation under the Zambia Improved Rural Connectivity Project regarding market accessibility and mobility for small-scale farmers in two contrasting districts, Nyimba and Chibombo. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, this comparative study combines survey data from 372 households located along rehabilitated feeder roads with focus group discussions, key informant interviews and basic GIS analysis. It analyses changes in main modes of transport, travel time to the BOMA and markets, frequency and purpose of trips and perceived ease of access to key services. The findings show that feeder road rehabilitation under the Improved Rural Connectivity Project significantly reduced travel times to the BOMA and markets, increased the share of households who are able to reach key destinations within 90 minutes and improved perceived ease of travel for more than 70% of respondents. In Chibombo, mobility is predominantly motorised, while in Nyimba, intermediate means of transport such as bicycles and motorcycles remain central alongside walking. Across both districts, improved roads have enabled more frequent trips to markets, health facilities and schools, but benefits are unevenly distributed. Households further from the road corridor, poorer households and some female-headed households continue to face cost and service-related constraints. The paper concludes that rural road rehabilitation is a necessary but not sufficient condition for inclusive mobility, and argues for complementary investments in affordable rural transport services, last-mile links and equity-focused planning.