Project description

Title: Increasing Traffic Safety by Reforming Safety Planning and Management
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (BMVBS
Financier: European Union (EU)
Country: Egypt
Lead executing agency: EU Project Management Organisation (PAO of the Ministry of International Cooperation (MoIC), Twinning-Partner General Authority of Roads, Bridges and Land Transport (GARBLT)
Overall term: 2008 to 2010

Context

Traffic accidents are the second most frequent cause of death in Egypt. Besides deplorable personal tragedies, traffic accidents also lead to substantial economic damage and to problems in the country’s development. The World Bank estimates that the costs of traffic accidents in Egypt now amount to as much as 3 percent of GNP.

Objective

Traffic safety in Egypt is increased.

Approach

The Egyptian government has established a national council for traffic safety, in order to ensure that all relevant ministries and organisations take a new direction in road safety policy. As part of road rehabilitation projects, higher safety standards and better safety management methods are to be introduced. Among them are safety reviews at new construction sites as well as inspections of the existing road network of 23,000 kilometres in the area for which the General Authority of Roads, Bridges and Land Transport (GARBLT) is responsible.

From analyses of traffic laws and the situation in the administrative organisation, recommendations for improvements and in-service training are developed: in road safety standards and management for GARBLT engineers and for police officers in accident investigation. Educational trips to Germany and Austria add a dimension to the training.

The EU Project Management Organisation has planned an additional budget, for instance, for accident databank software or GPS system hardware to locate accidents. An improved accident databank with appropriate analytical instruments is supported as a pilot project.

Results achieved so far

A seminar ‘Joint Efforts for Safer Roads in Egypt’ in April 2009 showed that the project has gained a lot of attention in political, academic and media circles.

The project was the sparkplug for forming a supraministerial work group to improve accident statistics in Egypt. Already in the first half-year of the project, close cooperation was attained with the most important Egyptian ministries and with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank.