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MBABANE – In a bid to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent in 2030, the Road Safety Council of Eswatini has completed the formulation of the National Road Safety Strategy for 2023 – 2030.
The strategy was yesterday brought to the different Road Safety Stakeholders for their engagement in order to validate it together with the United Nations Economic Commission forAfrica (UNECA).
The strategy is the Road Safety Council of Eswatini’s action plan for the decade (2021-2030) in terms of reducing road accidents by at least 50 per cent during this period.
The first priorities of the strategy were drawn directly from the African Road Safety Charter.
Formulation
Presenting virtually, was Martin Small, a Road Safety Consultant hired by United Nations Economic Commission forAfrica (UNECA), on behalf of Eswatini, who said the formulation of the Eswatini National Road Safety Strategy 2023-2030, was divided into two road safety action plans.
He said the first implementation priority for this strategy was therefore, in threefold; Review, legislative and institutional arrangements relating to the Road Safety Council.
This pillar would be meant to strengthen its (Road Safety Council) legislative mandate, cross-agency and stakeholder governance, and the dedicated human and financial resources available to lead the national effort.
Another pillar would be meant to establish ongoing national road safety funding arrangements for the council, based on internal revenue sources, and the primacy of council decision and advice government on the allocation of safety funding and establish an ongoing road safety capacity building programme under the responsibility of the council.
The last pillar would be meant to ensure that key agencies and stakeholders considerably strengthen their technical road safety capability and leadership response to the issue.
Initiatives
Small said other major initiatives would be pursued during the period under review.
These include one aimed to be an external good practice review of Eswatini’s driver licensing system, from rules regarding safety standards to the actual processes and electronic systems and registries required to manage the licence life-cycle.
He also noted that the strategy would also include an external review undertaken by a senior traffic police specialist of the traffic police function in Eswatini, addressing institutional/organisational/operational issues as well as capacity building.
Another initiative would be a monitoring and evaluation project to establish and track baselines of speeding, drink-driving and seatbelt wearing.
Small highlighted that through the strategy, there would also be a sustainable mobility review of public transport systems (both formal and informal) to promote greater use, and significant safety improvement.
“Aspeed management review, including good practice speed limits, and piloting supportive infrastructure for integration in the road safety investment programme,” he said.