Applications for the Evonik Road Safety Award 2018 are now open!
IRF (Geneva) is pleased to support for the third year the Evonik Road Safety Award. Granted every year, the Evonik Road Safety Award acknowledges and rewards the contributions to road safety of public authorities worldwide.
With the Road Safety Award, Evonik aims to raise awareness for road safety initiatives that address the needs of vulnerable road users. Key criteria for the winning project are its contribution to
- Road safety (60%)
- Sustainability (20%)
- Innovation (10%)
- Replicability (10%)
Project candidates involve any completed infrastructure initiative, which includes some form of road marking with at least a one-year track record. Qualified applicants represent public authorities from a city, state, national or regional level, responsible for such an initiative. The prize of 10,000€ will be awarded in the form of a sponsored road marking application, a donation of traffic safety related items, or a donation to a non-profit organization.
Evonik bestows the prize upon identification of the winner by an independent jury of internationally recognized experts in the field of road safety, transport, and city design:
Application forms can be downloaded from www.degaroute.com and should be submitted to degaroute@evonik.com before May 31, 2018. The winning project will be announced in the month of August, followed by an award ceremony in late 2018 that will take place at a global or regional road safety event. More information – including the application form – is available on www.degaroute.com.
Tell us your story and apply for the Evonik Road Safety Award 2018!
IRF (Geneva) to support Qatar on its recycling strategy
The Pavement Preservation and Recycling Summit (PPRS) 2018 in Nice (26 - 28 March 2018) set the scene for the signature of an important MoU between Ashghal, the Qatari Public Works Authority and the International Road Federation (Geneva). Ashghal’s participation in the summit was part of its endeavour to open opportunities for cooperation and investment in the road sector and recycling of construction materials.
Ashghal’s delegation made of a group of senior officials was headed by H.E. Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al-Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority. Ashghal has planned to recycle 3 million tons of asphalt waste over the next two years and is working with its partners to increase the proportion of recycled materials and use them in projects in a range of 15 to 50%, to be included with the specifications of QCS 2018. The MoU signed by Ashghal’s President Dr. Eng. Saad Al-Muhannadi and Mrs. Susanna Zammataro, Executive Director of International Road Federation (Geneva) aims at boosting cooperation in the field of construction recycling. “We are delighted to support Qatar in the implementation of its national strategy 2017-2022. IRF’s expertise and network will provide an extra gear to the ambitious plan set by Ashghal”, said Susanna Zammataro of IRF.
The National Strategy 2017-2022 of the State of Qatar aims: 1. at ensuring that at least 20% of recycled materials is used in road construction projects 2. a reduction of 30% for the cost of raw materials used in road construction in Qatar and 3. a greater uptake of environment friendly methods and techniques in the construction sector, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 for sustainability.
Ashghal's engagement to promote recycling of construction materials looks at facilitating the establishment of a platform for the development of sustainable local infrastructure and reduce volume of import of aggregates and bitumen from abroad. This will of course have the effect of reducing costs and improve on time project delivery.
The signature of the MoU between Ashghal and IRF was also followed by the signature of an MoU between Ashghal and Anas Qatar Branch, who since 2012 works in Qatar to develop a Quality Assurance / Quality Control system for road pavements. The MoU marks the start of the e-library to be created by ANAS on Ashghal’s web portal to offer access to technical knowledge in the field of civil engineering, standards and technical specifications.
If you wish to learn more or get involved in IRF-Ashghal collaboration, please contact IRF Secretariat in Geneva info@irfnet.ch.
Step up Action! IRF in New York for the launch of the UN Road Safety Fund
The Road Safety community gathered in New York on 12-13 April for the launch of a new United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund. The new UN Fund is intended to catalyse road safety action across the globe, using donations to help unlock new government and municipal funding and re-focus national road safety budgets towards proven ‘Safe System’ interventions.
The FIA Foundation has pledged a donation of USD$10 million to kick start the Fund launched by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. The FIA Foundation’s donation will help to leverage additional support for the Fund from governments, other philanthropies and the private sector to work towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of a 50% global reduction in road fatalities and injuries.
3M – a member of the IRF family – and Total are the first two private sector companies stepping in with donation pledges. “As a member of the Advisory Board of the FIA High Level Panel on Road Safety and a longstanding advocate of road safety, IRF will do its outmost to solicit and encourage donations to the Fund from its members and partners, whether from the private or the public sector” said Susanna Zammataro, IRF Executive Director. “We stand ready to support the delivery of projects and programmes funded by the Trust Fund and to enhance collaboration and coordination at all levels via – in between others – our active role as members of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration Group (UNRSC)” Zammataro concluded.
The UN Economic Commission for Europe estimates that for every $100 million raised and deployed by the fund, a further $3.4 billion of country and city investment can be unlocked for infrastructure and road safety programmes, saving 64,000 lives and preventing 640,000 serious injuries. To meet the road safety sustainable development goal targets for road safety by 2030 will require at least $770 million per year in catalytic financing, so the stakes are high and the challenge great.
The official launch followed the UN General Assembly debate on road safety where a new resolution was adopted following a long series of interventions from the different government delegations present has recalled the urgency of action in response to the rising toll of road fatalities and injuries globally. HRH Prince Michael of Kent spoke on behalf of the UK, sharing the country’s own journey to reducing fatalities, but was also clear in stating that 1700 deaths a year is still unacceptable. With only 2 years until 2020 to deliver the SDG target, where the Decade of Action for Road Safety will also come to a close, Prince Michael urged the international community to redouble efforts to reduce road crash fatalities by 50%.
UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova stated “The United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund will serve as a catalyst for much-needed progress towards the road safety targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. UNECE is honoured to host the Secretariat of the Trust Fund, and, as home to both the United Nations road safety conventions and the Secretariat of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, is committed to working with all stakeholders to multiply the impact of global action to improve road safety”.
Commenting on the launch, Susanna Zammataro IRF Executive Director said: “I think we all have to pay a special tribute to the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr Jean Todt, today for his relentless work over the past years and that has made possible this great achievement today. Following his example and leadership, we all need now to step up action and make sure road safety becomes a reality for all. Access to relevant knowledge and data is fundamental first step. IRF’s Knowledge centre www.gtkp.com hosts significant work produced in the framework of UNRSC and that will be of great help and guidance to anyone working on road safety. Access to these resources is free and we look forward to everyone’s contribution to keep this important knowledge resource growing”.
Join the IRF Young Professionals Programme!
The IRF Young Professionals (IRF YP) is a platform for the next generation of leaders and specialists in the road and mobility sector to propose initiatives, share ideas and be engaged in the overall activities of IRF. IRF-YP gathers proactive graduate students enrolled in a Master or Ph.D. programme as well as young professionals working in the sector. Building on the IRF’s vast network and expertise, the Programme has as its mission to present the road and mobility sectors as a multidisciplinary area for development for young professionals from various backgrounds. After two initial years of work culminated in the interactive workshops hosted during the World Meeting, our IRF YP are ready to change gear and embrace new challenges.
Ana Maria de la Parra - one of the two IRF YP leaders - gives us insights on their plans: “First of all we would like to thank all the IRF YPs for the effort and engagement. Special thanks go to Melinda Matyas – my fellow IRF YP Leader - without whom nothing would have been possible. We are pleased to announce that the two program leaders for the new mandate just started will be myself, Ana Maria de la Parra (Anukie) and Eloi Artau. I will continue my front-line engagement to ensure continuity while we take up new challenges”.
Working closely with the the IRF Secretariat in Geneva, the IRF YPs are working on identifying new priorities and defining goals and objectives in a new strategy.
“We have decided to create a new Admissions and Membership committee, composed by Daniel Kabuga and Usman Shaibu” says Anukie. “One of the priorities we have already identified is the need to develop partnerships with other sisters’ organisations. For this purpose, we have decided to set up some regional committees to identify and liaise with relevant organizations who can help us advance in our mission. Bruno Kinyaga and Eudardo Ramirez have started work in the African and European regions” adds Anukie.
Learn more, support or get involved in the IRF Young Professional Programme, by writing to: youngpp@irfnet.ch
Newsletter - April 2018
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Modernization of roads in Serbia
More than 222000 ETC devices
Users of the roads in Serbia increasingly use the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC).
The number of ETC users has reached more than 222.000 that makes their participation in the total revenue very significant as it will reach more than 41%.
The number of Heavy Good Vehicle (HGV) drivers using the ETC has increased to 64% out of a total number of HGVs using tolled motorways.
Electric vehicle charging stations on Serbian roads
Within the project of the modernization of roads in Serbia, so far, five electric vehicle charging stations have been installed at key points on highways: in the zone of the former toll station Belgrade near Bubanj Potok (direction toward Niš), in the zones of toll stations Preševo (direction toward Niš), Šid (direction toward Belgrade) and Subotica (direction toward Novi Sad), while the charging station in the zone of the Dimitrovgrad toll station(direction toward Niš) will start to operate upon the commissioning of the toll station.
The installed chargers represent the most modern solution for charging vehicles among all global brands. They possess three ports: two for fast DC charging and one for fast AC charging. The charging is remotely controlled, including the monitoring of the very charger, as well as the statistics of vehicles charged (time and duration of charging, kW amount etc.).
WIFI on motorway
Free wireless internet, besides the Bubanj Potok location, has so far been enabled at five rest areas: Jerina, Šimanovci 1, Šimanovci 2, Feketić 1 and Feketić 2.
Within the continuation of the modernization of roads in the Republic of Serbia, it is planned to introduce free wireless internet along the Corridor X through Serbia and to arrange all key rest areas on the highway, which includes the provision of power supply, lighting and free internet, placing of mobile equipment for resting, such as benches, tables and installations of appliances for charging the electric vehicles.
Saferoad Telemactics receives the Smart Solution Award
Saferoad Telemactics has been awarded by the Global Infrastructure Congress, for Smart Solution Award in March 2018.
Minister of infrastructure of UAE his Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Na'ami awarded Saferoad Telemactics during the Congress held in Dubai.
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About Saferoad
Saferoad had led Middle East market with their innovative Telematics solutions, which go beyond managing fleets and their maintenance costs, up to optimize drivers' utilization, ensure drivers safety, and help companies to reduce the OPEX and insurance expenses.
The primary goal of Saferoad is to reduce accident number and to help the drivers in Saudi Arabia to enhance their driving behavior. The effective contribution of Saferoad technologies in regional economy let the company get many Regional and International awards, such as, World Economic Forum, International Finance Cooperation, Forbes, IRF, and others.
Meet the Team:
Haenni Instruments: Weight the loads and save the roads!
The road network is the backbone of every country’s infrastructure and the condition for a prosperous economy.
Although most government authorities are aware of the importance to keep it in good conditions, many of them fail on this matter. The most common reason is the lack of resources to do maintenance and repair the roads. What they don’t know is that it is much cheaper to prevent than cure.
But how to protect the roads? Weight enforcement is a part of a sustainable development of road infrastructure and with the right concept and less resources it’s possible to protect the pavement and increase its lifespan.
Nowadays weight enforcement can be done with mobile patrols or stationary systems like weighbridges. In some countries there are automatic systems (weigh-in-motion, WIM) that are able to detect overload vehicles in driving speed on the road or the trucks have independent on board weighing units (OBW) for self-control. Even WIM systems with international certifications are rarely implemented for the direct enforcement, once that authorities from metrology institutes don’t grant local type approvals because of lacks in the international regulations and validations. And even if they were reliable and accurate enough to be use for the direct enforcement, is this reasonable? An automatic system can’t stop the truck immediately to avoid further damaging of the road. OBW’s can be manipulated and must be periodically and officially checked.
The resources collected with fines will never be enough to cover the outgoing for repairing the road network. Therefore the major goal of weight enforcement must be discouraging the drivers to overload, and not only collect resources.
A mobile patrol team using mobile scales is the most efficient way to perform an official weighing control once it increases the social interaction between drivers and enforcement officers. Apart of that, it allows the unload, in case of an extreme overload. According to a study of the University of Manitoba, Canada, mobile weighing on the spot is 30 times more effective in detecting violations than permanent weigh stations. The reason is simple: the drivers can bypass the permanent stations, when a control on spot will catch the drivers by surprise.
Over the past four decades HAENNI Instruments has provided wheel load scales for the police control worldwide and became a reference for the mobile weight enforcement in the 6 continents. Due to its light weight and thin platform, HAENNI scale is very appreciated by the police officers who perform the measurement controls. The OIML certification and EU type approval attest the reliability of those instruments. The value of these outstanding products is increased with the concept that HAENNI has for each different application that may vary according to the country, legislation, weather, infrastructure, drivers’ behaviours and funds available.
In short, one of the cheapest and most efficient solutions to drastically minimize the deterioration of the road network is to change the behaviour of the drivers by raising the awareness of the problem with a mobile weight enforcement.
Sponsorship Opportunity - IRF World Road Statistics 2018
Every year since 1964, the International Road Federation (IRF) has been publishing the World Road Statistics (WRS), the most complete and authoritative source of data for the road sector. The WRS 2018 will be released by August 2018. This Edition will include updated data for the years 2011-2016. Over 200 countries will be included with key data on Road Networks, Road Expenditures & Revenues, Road Traffic, Multimodal Traffic Comparisons, Road Accidents, Vehicles in Use, Vehicles Industry (Production, Imports, Exports and First Registration) and Energy Prices.
Advertising in the WRS associate your company name with quality data, global exposure with peers, potential clients and business partners. The long-lasting value of the WRS editions - and the testimonials received by our customers (see here) - provides you with excellent value for your marketing investment. Your advertising will be published in the WRS 2018 Book, Excel File, PDF, Leaflet and the WRS website (logo or name of the sponsor with the respective link to the sponsor website).
We will be pleased to offer a free Excel file of the WRS 2018 to all the advertisers.
The annual WRS are sold to entities active in transport, infrastructure and mobility worldwide. Read what our clients say about our data set and judge yourself if this is an investment worth making!
Note that advertisement is on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited. For further information, you can contact us by telephone (+41 22 306 02 60) or email: stats@irfnet.ch.
