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Mozambique has learnt the lesson of what happens when road maintenance is neglected. After 20 years of war, the country’s road network was left in a sorry state as these pictures show. Smaller vehicles may prefer driving on what’s left of the tar but trucks will avoid the tar remains by driving on the sand verges as it makes for more comfortable driving and imparts less strain on the vehicle’s components. In some towns, sand roads are preferred over the patchy tar remnants. Bad roads slow down economic activity dramatically by slowing down the passage of vehicles. It is thus that the Government has embarked on a vigorous programme of rebuilding roads such as the EN1 which heads north from Maputo past towns like Xai-Xai and Inhambane right up to Beira. The progress is noticeable - as is the improvement in trip times for the trucks such as pictured here. And there are many such trucks plying this route.