Tanzania is taking steps to boost road safety – image courtesy of © Sjankauskas, Dreamstime.com
Tanzania is introducing a new Ten Step Plan for safer road infrastructure, in a bid to cut the road casualty rate.
The programme has been introduced by the Tanzania Minister for Works and Transport, Dr Leonard Madaraka Chamuriho. The project was launched as an on-line National workshop to bring around the table key national and international agencies and organisations over a three day period.
Of note is that Tanzania is the first country in the world to use the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) Ten Steps approach.
The Ten Step Project, jointly funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and the Global Road Safety Facility of the World Bank (GRSF), brings together the Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Works, TANROADS and TARURA, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), World Bank, International Road Federation (IRF), World Road Association (PIARC), International Road Assessment Program (iRAP), Tanzania Road Federation (TARA), research institutions, NGOs and industry stakeholders.
The workshop has focused on the broad sharing of information and detailed activity planning.
“Through the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure Pilot Project, Tanzania is heading in the right direction to meet the objectives of the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety as well as Africa’s post-2020 Road Safety Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan. ECA is therefore committed to ensuring the successful implementation of the project” said Robert Lisinge, Chief of Infrastructure and Services Section of UN-Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in his keynote address.
“The Government of The United Republic of Tanzania appreciates the decision to implement the pilot project in our country and promises to be fully involved in its implementation in order to realise the target of safer road infrastructure for all road users” said minister Leonard Madaraka Chamuriho in his opening remarks.
The sector has proven that it has the tools to design and build safer roads, but these must be more widely implemented. This is not about telling a government or anyone else what to do. This is about making meaningful decisions that will save millions of lives” commented Susanna Zammataro, director general at the International Road Federation (IRF), which leads the consortium of partners delivering the pilot in Tanzania.
Rob McInerney, CEO of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) commented: “With the Minister’s leadership we are at the start of a very exciting time for Tanzania. As the world-first application of the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure, Tanzania are already world leaders. We look forward to collaborating with local and international partners to achieve great things in Tanzania, and providing a benchmark for other countries in the region to learn from and emulate.”
The Ten Step Plan framework has been produced by the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration partners (UNRSC) to support countries seeking to implement initiatives in relation to the “Improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks”, the UN Convention on Road Traffic and Road Signs and Signals and the achievement of UN Member States Agreed Global Targets 3 and 4 for safer new and existing roads.
