Project summary
Transaid, in partnership with the Global Road Safety Partnership in Namibia have conducted a one day training session for 13 Road Engineers from both Namibia’s government and the private sector. The training which took place at the Construction Industry Federation headquarters in Windhoek had two aims; firstly to promote awareness of the importance of non infrastructure related concepts in the achievement of safer roads, and secondly to highlight and analyse some specific engineering problems in the City of Windhoek as a base for discussing the role of engineering in road safety.
The day started with an interactive session hosted by Gary Forster, Transaid’s Southern Africa Manager. The session explored the 3 E’s of road safety; Education, Enforcement and the Environment, and the role of each of these factors when aiming for safer roads. Discussions were held regarding the need for community education programmes when new roads are constructed in rural areas and the importance of driver training initiatives to support economic growth when new routes are created for industrial developments. Participants discussed the variety of non infrastructure related factors which can lead to road crashes and finished the session with an understanding of their role in highlighting such issues during the planning stages of a new road project.
The second session, hosted by Riaan Van Rooyen the GRSP Nambia Executive Secretary included a tour of Windhoek with stops at specific locations which had been identified as having fundamental, and in many cases dangerous engineering design flaws. The course participants evaluated the issues at each location and made suggestions as to what solutions might be appropriate for reducing the risk to all road users. One location identified was at the entrance to Windhoek’s largest shopping mall where the flow of traffic conflicts with the safe passage of students from the nearby Centaurus School highlighting the need to be considerate of all types of road user when designing road infrastructure.
Transaid is currently working in Zambia as part of a process to introduce internationally recognised driver training standards in a bid to reduce the carnage faced on the roads. This work is being undertaken within a committee of government and private sector stakeholders and Transaid is in regular contact with regional bodies such as the Federation of Eastern and Southern Africa Road Transport Associations in order to ensure harmonisation of standards.
Results
Speaking about the training Mr. Rooyen said:
“Initiatives of this kind are of the utmost importance so that practitioners at all levels within the transport sector understand the need to constantly consider the safety of all types of road user. Too often the role of Road Engineers within the road safety discussion remains focussed on infrastructure when in truth they also have a responsibility to understand and highlight non infrastructure related issues which if left unattended to can lead to an increased number of injuries and deaths on our roads.”
“The message which Transaid and GRSP have communicated today is one of holistic road safety; understanding and highlighting all of the different factors which converge to provide safer roads for the citizens of Namibia. Too often it is the physical process of road construction which receives so much focus and so much funding where in truth the issues which Transaid helped raise today; including the need for improved driver training standards and community education on new routes play a massive role in ensuring the safety of all of our road users.”
GRSP National Co-ordinator, Yolandie Bruns said of the session:
“What was so noticeable was the enthusiasm which the participants had, and the responsibility they felt for keeping their fellow Namibians safe. They absorbed the content of the day with a passion to go out and play a role as part of the solution. The discussions fronted by GRSP helped them understand the direct role of infrastructure in the safety of those using our roads whilst the input from Transaid broadened their outlook as to the multitude of other factors which need to be addressed to enhance road safety.”
For more information about this project please contact our Southern Africa Programmes Manager, Gary Forster at garyjforster@hotmail.com, or contact us at +44 (0) 20 7387 8136
