Newsletter - September 2018
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PM Modi delivers his vision for the Future of Mobility in India
Under the leadership of Niti Aayog, India hosted in Delhi its first Global Mobility Summit on 7 & 8 September 2018. Addressing an impressive line-up of CEOs from all over the world, the Prime Minister of India, Mr Modi shared his vision for the future of mobility in the country. IRF was among the key transport stakeholders invited to share its expertise during the summit.
Pitching the concept of 'clean kilometres,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong call for public transport and electric mobility. He said the use of private cars should be moderated while public transport, scooters and rickshaws running on electric solutions should increasingly dominate the mobility eco-system in the country. "Public transport must be the cornerstone of our mobility initiatives… Our focus must also go beyond cars, to other vehicles such as scooters and rickshaws”. Underlining the need for electric solutions, the Prime Minister said that "charged mobility is the way forward" for the country. "We should champion the idea of ‘clean kilometres’," continued Mr Modi, adding that there is also a need to encourage walking and cycling by making roads safer for those road users as well.
PM Modi’s vision is that of a clean mobility powered by clean energy. This is - in his words - the most powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. The Prime Minister said his vision for the future of mobility in India is based on 7 C’s – "common, connected, convenient, congestion-free, charged, clean and cutting-edge”. Mr Modi reminded the audience that India is the sixth largest producer of renewable energy and the fifth largest producer of solar energy in the world.
IRF has entered into a Statement of Intent (SOI) with NITI Aayog, Govt. of India, to work towards a coherent national ITS policy that will enable PM Modi’s vision for the future of Mobility in India.
Proceedings of MOVE Summit can be accessed here: http://movesummit.in/resources.php
To learn more about IRF’s work with Niti Aayog, please see: https://www.irfnet.ch/mediadetail.php?catid=2&id=633&title=IRF%20steering%20the%20WGs%20of%20the%20National%20ITS%20Committee%20in%20India
Roundtable discussion ”Analysis of the safety situation in Kosovo roads
A roundtable discussion was organized by College “Tempulli” on "Analysis of the safety situation in Kosovo roads", aimed at checking the role of institutions in increasing traffic safety and undertaking concrete measures in order to improve the situation of safe circulation on the roads of the country.
Minister of Internal Affairs, Bejtush Gashi stated that “Referring to the current situation on traffic accidents and their consequences the Kosovo Police has undertaken serious additional measures with the aim of improving the road safety level, preventing traffic accidents and enforcing law in function of road traffic management and control. To this end, the Kosovo Police, as of 24 July 2018, has established the "TASK FORCE" for prevention of accidents in road traffic”.
Being aware of the numerous accidents, all the roundtable participants assessed that they should come up with concrete steps in order to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
Opening of the Australian’s New National Transport Research Centre
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael McCormack officially opened the multi-million dollar National Transport Research Centre in Port Melbourne on Wednesday, September 5.
It will be the home of ARRB – the National Transport Research Organisation – providing a one-stop shop for Australia’s road and transport research.
ARRB (Australian Road Research Board) is Australia’s key provider of road and transport research to governments, road agencies and academia on issues like driverless vehicle research, road safety and smart city design.
Based in the Fisherman’s Bend precinct, Australia’s largest urban renewal project, the National Transport Research Centre features world-class research labs and more than 100 staff working on everything from driverless vehicles and road safety to new smart pavements and what smart cities of the future should look like.
The state-of-the-art workspace at 80A Turner St, Port Melbourne, was created by workplace consulting specialists Amicus, who concentrated particularly on successfully integrating technology into the workplace.
The new facility also contains 18 meeting rooms, including a large auditorium, and a purpose-built webinar, radio and video studio to help ARRB be at the centre of knowledge transfer within the road and transport industry.
Mr McCormack paid tribute to ARRB’s work, which will be furthered by the state-of-the-art facility.
“The George Jetson philosophy and visions of the future are happening right before us, and you at ARRB are front and centre of that,” Mr McCormack said.
“This facility is going to be front and centre of everything our nation is relying on (in roads and transport) with your world-class facilities.”
ARRB Chief Executive Officer Michael Caltabiano says the new facility will allow ARRB and Australia to further its research into future transport challenges facing the nation.
“Our aim is to build towards a connected mobility future for all Australians, and this new facility will allow us to provide enhanced, cutting-edge research to governments, road agencies and academia on all aspects of roads and transport,” Mr Caltabiano says.
1st International Forum on Connected and Automated Vehicle Highway Systems organized by CHTS
China Highway & Transportation Society (CHTS) with the guidance and support from Ministry of Transport of China, China Association for Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Engineering and UN Environment, is pleased to host the First International Forum on Connected and Automated Vehicle Highway Systems on November 1-3, 2018 at the Beijing International Convention Center in Beijing, China.
With the theme Automated Vehicle and Intelligent Road, the forum is featured of Keynote Presentations from Government officers, enterprises representatives, universities and research institutes, Parallel Sessions on Automated Vehicles, Intelligent Roads and Smart Delivery, Exhibitions and Technical Tour for onsite experience of Driverless Vehicles and Intelligent Roads Systems.
The forum will be a platform for ideas to converge and partnerships to blossom. The most prominent figures and voices of the industry, and the most cutting-edge technologies, products, applications and ideas are invited to attend this event.
For more details, contact the International Cooperation Department of CHTS:
Duan Xiuqin (Ms) +86 18518788547 / duanxiuqin@hotmail.com
Guan Nina (Ms) +86 13810772333 / guannina@chinahighway.com
The Global Alliance of NGOs to host its sixth Global Meeting
In April 2019, the Alliance will hold the Sixth Global Meeting of Nongovernmental Organizations Advocating for Road Safety and Road Victims (the Global Meeting) in Chania, Greece. The Global Meeting will be the most significant gathering of road safety NGOs and global stakeholders next year in the run-up to the end of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020. It offers the opportunity to learn about road safety trends, participate in global campaigns, and network with like-minded professionals.
We are proud to announce that Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Violeta Bulc, the European Commissioner for Transport, and Olga Sehnalová, Member of the European Parliament and Leadership Council for the Global Network for Road Safety Legislators, will join our High-Level Symposium held during the Global Meeting on 12 April 2019 in Chania, Greece. Registration is now open.
http://roadsafetyngos.org/sh_conference/sixth-global-meeting
A new awareness campaign by Highways of Morocco (ADM)
ADM (Highways of Morocco) works every day to help Moroccan drive safely, it does that by implementing regularly a series of features, such as repairing pavement defects, maintaining the road safety and signage, rest area improvements and also developing a range of technologies related to traffic management system, like ADM Traffic app, message signs, cameras and speed limit enforcement. Some of these various features contribute to provide a valuable information to travellers about the road conditions ahead.
On the other hand, in order to change human behaviour, ADM turned its attention to the travellers by organizing annual awareness campaigns, among them the latest one called « Your safety is our common priority » which it took place, during the summer months, at the different rest areas of its 1800 Km of highways network. The intended goal is to interact with drivers about the road safety while they are resting in a cooling stand at the same time, their children can enjoy the inflatable playground or participate in drawing games related to road safety.
In this campaign, ADM focused on getting drivers used with ADM traffic app and be aware of the following motor vehicle crashes factors:
- Distraction, particularly, the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving;
- Driving while fatigued;
- Not complying with the speed limits;
- Not checking the car particularly, the tire pressure and any abnormal tire wear;
- The lack of car maintenance.
Furthermore, ADM had collected for analysis, numerous interviews during the event, so they can be added to traffic safety data, thus ensuring favourable conditions for ADM data decision making.
Three questions to Mr. Zoran Drobnjak, M.Sc.C.E., Director, Roads of Serbia
In this interview, IRF talks with the Diretor of the Public Enterprise “Roads of Serbia” about their plans for improving the quality of services provided to the road users through a series of new projects, rehabilitation and modernisation of the network as well a new toll collection system.
IRF: Mr. Zoran Drobnjak, what is the role Roads of Serbia plays in the country?
PE “Roads of Serbia” is successfully implementing the foreseen activities regarding maintenance, preservation, expropriation, development and management of the state roads and it is ready to achieve even better business results in the upcoming years.
With the modernization of our work we have provided modern management and maintenance of state roads thus increasing the level of traffic safety and upgrading the construction so that the road network of the Republic of Serbia is ready to become integral part of the European road network.
Construction, revitalization and renewal of traffic infrastructure with the implementation of strategic traffic development projects in our country are the precondition for intensified industrial and social development of Serbia.
Modern traffic infrastructure also valorises geostrategic position of Serbia generally and opens the way for our country towards the markets of the Southeast Europe and Asia.
Quality and efficient connection of the Republic of Serbia with the surroundings, primarily with the neighbouring countries, as well as its active role in integrative processes of the Western Balkans, Southeast Europe and the Danube Region are an imperative for us.
IRF: Could you tell us about objectives and priorities RoS has set for the short and long-term?
Based on the defined goals, the priorities set up for the short-term period, necessary to be implement are:
- Completion of the construction and modernization of routes along European corridors and sections of international highways passing through Serbia and /or Corridor X (E-75 and E-80) and E-763 (Belgrade - South Adriatic),
- Section 4, as the construction of the missing section on Corridor X - section of Belgrade bypass from the tunnel “Straževica” to Bubanj Potok, and construction of the second highway lane from Ostružnica bridge to the tunnel ‘Straževica” (Sections 4, 5 and 6);
- Construction of a new corridor and completion of works on corridors and sections on which construction has already begun, such as Route 4 (section Požega-Boljare),
- Route 5 (Pojate – Preljina) or the so-called "Morava Corridor" (a cross-road connecting the two most important corridors in Serbia),
- Route 9 (Novi Sad-Ruma or the so-called "Corridor across Fruška Gora" as well as continuation of the route Ruma-Šabac-Loznica,
- Route 4 (section Belgrade-Vršac (border with Romania)),
- Route 7 (Niš- Pristina),
- Belgrade - Zrenjanin,
- Motorways at the multimodal Corridor East: Corridor X - Požarevac - Majdanpek - Negotin - Bulgarian border (Mokranje), etc.
- Financing through various forms of public-private partnership and concession contracts should also be considered;
- Partial completion of the construction of the bypass around Belgrade (sections Bubanj Potok-Pančevo), Sombor, Zrenjanin, Kikinda, Irig, Kragujevac, Kruševac, Kraljevo, Valjevo, Užice, Niš and Novi Pazar and
- The construction of bypasses around Novi Sad, Vršac, Odžak, Sremski Karlovci, Prokuplje, Golubac, Majdanpek, Bor, Kladovo, Babušnica, Knjaževac and Osečina;
- Rehabilitation, modernization, upgrading and improvement of the existing network of state roads of I and II category;
- Improving the regional approach (high quality infrastructure - highways are planned in a way that will not lead to the outflow of resources from less developed, peripheral areas);
- Construction of technical preconditions for the application of closed toll collection system (construction works on the creation of multilevel junctions/ interchanges, access roads and plateau of toll gates/ramps/lines).
IRF: Tell us about one recent project you have proudly engaged the company in.
The modernization of toll collection system in Serbia is one on which significant actions has already started and further action is foreseen in 2018.
Through the Sector for Toll Collection, the PE Roads of Serbia charges the road users on the following motorway sections:
· Belgrade-Niš, I A Category state road No. 1(Е-75)
· Belgrade-Šid, (border with Croatia), I A Category state road No. 3(Е-70)
· Belgrade-Subotica, (border with Hungary), I A Category state road No. 1(Е-75) (opening sections Sirig-Subotica, 2017-12-05),
· Niš-Preševo, (border with Macedonia) I A Category state road No. 1(Е-75) (opeming new stations Preševo 2016-12-12),
· Ljig-Preljina, I A Category state road No. 2 (Е-763) (opening two new stations Takovo and Preljina, 2017-01-01)
· Niš-Dimitrovgrad, (border with Bulgaria) I A Category state road No. 4 (Е-80) (opening new stations Dimitrovgrad 2018-01-01
On sections of motorways Belgrade-Niš, Belgrade-Šid and Belgrade-Subotica the toll is being collected within closed toll collection system, while on the sections, Niš-Preševo, Ljig-Preljina and Niš -Dimitrovgrad the toll is being collected within open toll collection system. The toll is being collected on motorways in the length of 645 km by automated toll collection system. System covers 47 toll stations. Toll amount is calculated based on distance covered and vehicle class. Vehicles are classified according to their characteristics (i.e. number of axes, height of vehicle at first axis, total height and permissible maximum weight).
Modernization of toll collection system has been successfully implemented, so that out of overall 250 traffic lanes with toll collection and card distribution, 200 (80,0%) of lanes is provided with the system for electronic toll collection. The system is fully harmonized with the EU recommendations and standards for interoperability of electronic toll collection, thus allowing interconnection with huge part of electronic toll collection system installed in other European countries.
Safe Roads Safe Kids Project: delivering a safe journey to school
Every year 186 300 children die from road traffic crashes around the world. That’s more than 500 children every day. Road traffic injury ranks among the top four causes of death for all children over the age of five years.
According to data reported by the Moroccan Comité national de prévention des accidents de la circulation (CNPAC), young people below the age of 14 represent 15% of all the deaths on Moroccan roads and are most of the time pedestrians. Many of them young kids going or coming back from school. Against this background, the International Road Federation (IRF Geneva) and Motoring Club Morocco (MCM) have joined hands and initiated the project “Safe Roads, Safe Kids!” thanks also to the support of the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme.
The project aims at showing the added value of working together and in a systemic way. “We aim at federating in one single project different actors and different kind of initiatives - normally undertaken individually (data collection & analysis, RS inspections/audits, RS education) in order to maximise their impact. These individual initiatives/projects - even when successful - are often short-term, limited in scope and so of limited impact in the longer term” says Susanna Zammataro, IRF Director General.
The World Health Organisation has published in 2015 a document outlining 10 strategies which are proven and evidence-based for keeping children safe on roads (WHO “Ten Strategies to keep Children Safe on the Road”). “The measures we propose in this project are fully in line with the recommendations provided by WHO in this document and embrace the idea of a systemic approach which is at the heart of the Safe System Approach concept” IRF DG continues.
Younger children are limited by their physical, cognitive and social development, making them more vulnerable in road traffic than adults. Because of their small stature, it can be difficult for children to see surrounding traffic and for drivers and others to see them. In addition, if they are involved in a road traffic crash, their softer heads make them more susceptible to serious head injury than adults. Younger children may have difficulties interpreting various sights and sounds, which may impact on their judgement regarding the proximity, speed and direction of moving vehicles. Younger children may also be impulsive, and their short attention spans mean that they struggle to cope with more than one challenge at a time. As they grow older, children of adolescent age are especially prone to take risks, compromising their safety on the road.
Safe Roads, Safe Kids! aims at building an evidence-based case that can be replicated in the rest of Morocco and hopefully exported also to other francophone countries. A workshop convening the different partners to the project was organised in Casablanca on 5-7 September 2018. Supported by the FIA Foundation, the workshop offered to the participants the opportunity to familiarise both with the methodology developed and used by AMEND around schools in Africa and also the iRAP School App. Participants to the workshop had a chance to put in practice these methodologies by performing the assessment of a school in an underprivileged area of Casablanca.
“Every child deserves a safe journey to school. It’s only by working together that we can ensure that this becomes a reality for every kid in the world, independently of the country, city or neighbourhood where he or she lives” concludes Susanna Zammataro.
To learn more on this project or to get involved, please contact IRF secretariat in Geneva at info@irfnet.ch
IRF data 2018: Europe sees a decrease in road expenditure and road maintenance expenditure
The IRF World Road Statistics (WRS) 2018 edition has just been released. First analysis of the data on road expenditure and road maintenance expenditure in Europe shows a decrease of 11% and 8%, respectively, for the period of 2011 to 2016.
Investing in roads and their maintenance is essential for economic growth and the mobility of a region. Maintenance by itself is crucial since poorly maintained roads lead to a downfall of the road network value, resulting in higher future costs related to road safety, accessibility and operating vehicles.
Available data provided by the WRS 2018 includes the total road expenditures from Central, Local/Regional government and the private sector, with a breakdown of data into total road investments, road maintenance and other recurrent costs. Our first analysis highlights important findings for the European region:
- Total European road expenditure (investments, maintenance and other costs) in 2016 has decreased by 11% vs. 2011, driven by a significant expenditure decline in Spain and France, partially offset by an increase in UK spending during the same period.
- Total European road maintenance expenditure in 2016 has decreased by 8% vs. 2011, primarily driven by decreased spending in UK and France.
The graph below shows the year by year percentage change, as well as the total percentage change, of European Road and Road Maintenance Expenditure for the 2011-2016 period.
During the period of 2011 to 2016, the European region continuously decreased its spending on its road network, with the exemption of the period of 2014-2015 where there was a marginal increase of 1%. Multiple economic and policy factors are at the base of this decrease mainly driven by Spain and France which represent two of the main freight transport corridors in Europe.
Road maintenance expenditure in Europe also show a decreasing trend. There has been a continuous decline, with the only exception being 2015-2016 where maintenance expenditure was flat. The primary causes for this decline are periodic maintenance contracts and economic factors. It is interesting to highlight that the UK shows a decrease in road maintenance expenditure whilst total road expenditure is increasing. There was a clear focus on new road investments during the 2011-2016 period, with UK road investments being almost double their road maintenance expenditure.
The new WRS 2018 encompass updated data of over 200 countries: Country Profile, Road Networks, Road Traffic, Multimodal Traffic Comparisons, Vehicles in Use, Road Accidents, Vehicles Industry (Production, Imports, Exports and First Registrations), Road Expenditures & Revenues, and Fuel Energy Prices.
If you are interested in more detailed information regarding key statistical indicators for the road and transport sector, whether for a specific country or worldwide, we invite you to find more information here or to contact us directly by phone +41 22 306 0260 or email stats@irfnet.ch
