UNRSC Side Event at UN Sustainable Transport Conference
In the framework of the second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference held on 14-16 October, a UN Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) side event was hosted on 15th October 2021 from 15:30 to 17:30 (CEST) on the topic: “Halving Road Deaths and Injuries by 2030: The UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030"
The UN Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) side event - coordinated by the International Road Federation (IRF) and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) – highlighted the global scale of the road trauma burden, the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) commitments to road safety, the safe system priorities to save lives and the mechanism for innovative financing of road safety.
IRF Director General, Susanna Zammataro, shared the practical Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure developed by UNRSC and how the systematic approach supports improved infrastructure management, design standards, industry capacity and the measurement and celebration of success to ensure Target 3 and 4 are met by 2030. Susanna also discussed the first application of the Ten Step Plan in Tanzania supported by the UN Road Safety Fund, UNECA and the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF).
Other experts that joined the discussion on this side event include members of the WHO, EIB, UNECE, Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, iRAP, Towards Zero Foundation, CITA, AIP Foundation, FIA Foundation, EASST, and the World Bank.
The recording of the event is now available on the event page:
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The IRF Annual Conference 2021 Edition
The International Road Federation (IRF) annual autumn conference was hosted online on 20 and 21 October under the theme “Innovation: Charting Pathways to Sustainable Mobility”.
More than 1’000 participants from 100 countries and over 50 speakers from leading organisations and companies in the roads and mobility sector gathered online for two days to learn, share knowledge and expertise, and build partnerships.
“The extraordinary mobility changes we are witnessing wouldn’t be possible without proper infrastructure, yet, transforming mobility requires more than just technology and infrastructure. Transforming mobility requires innovation, on all fronts” the opening remarks of IRF President, Mr. Bill Halkias, as he welcomed everyone during the Opening Session which included Massimo Schintu (President of ASECAP), Neil Pedersen (Executive Director of the Transportation Research Board), Angelos Amditis (President of ERTICO), Liu Wenjie (Secretary General of CHTS & BRITA). The message was echoed by Dr. Nancy Vandycke, Head of the SuM4All Partnership, in which IRF is actively engaged. “We need to go back to the drawing board and set up our minds free. New data, technologies and partnerships can improve our chances to “reset” our systems and improve future decision-making in transport. That’s why we welcome gatherings like this one and we thank IRF for this opportunity” she said.
The conference was articulated around four thematic sessions taking a deep dive into: Investments in Road Safety; Digitalisation in the Road Sector; Embedding Sustainability in Infrastructure Projects: and New Trends in Road Transport. To see the full programme, click here.
Two special sessions were also included in the programme: the “IRF Innovation Updates” welcomed different IRF Members to present their innovative projects; and the IRF Start-up Label session offered this year's finalists the opportunity to pitch their solutions and present how they are revolutionising the mobility sector. Learn more about the IRF Start-up Label finalists here.
The Conference concluded on the 21st of October with a special announcement: the hosting of the next IRF World Congress in Istanbul in 2024. The announcement video is now available online.
This conference would not have been possible without the support of IRF Gold Sponsors, Hellastron and 3M, our Silver Sponsor, Together for Safer Roads, and China Highway and Transportation Society which provided Chinese-English simultaneous interpretation throughout the whole conference.
All recordings and material of the conference are now available on the event page.
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Istanbul to host the IRF World Congress in 2024
Istanbul – the city on two continents – will be hosting the IRF World Congress in 2024. The venue of this prestigious event was unveiled today at the closing of the two-day IRF Annual Conference hosted under the theme: “Innovation: Charting Pathways to a Sustainable Mobility”.
Held every four years, the IRF World Congress has represented – for almost seven decades – an opportunity to celebrate the roads and mobility sectors as enablers of growth and development. The event which is accompanied by a large exhibition provides a unique platform that supports thought-leadership, business development, education, and overall successful partnerships in our industry.
"We are very grateful to the Turkish Government and to our Member – the Turkish Road Association – for hosting us, and we look forward to an exciting event that will help mark the progress our sector has made and define the agenda for the years to come" commented Bill Halkias, President of the International Road Federation.
"Istanbul not only joins continents, it also joins cultures and people. We have built world-class transport infrastructure, and we look forward to welcoming the global transport community in Turkey" added Hamdi Aydin from the Turkish Road Association.
The mysticism of the East and the modernity of the West, the constant time travel between the past and the future, the balance of the traditional and the modern. This is Istanbul. This is Turkey.
For more information, please contact the International Road Federation at info@irfnet.ch.
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The International Road Federation (IRF) is a global, independent, not-for-profit organisation with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Active since 1948, IRF is a membership-based organisation, representing leading corporate and institutional players drawn from the road and mobility sectors worldwide. Its mission is to promote the development of roads and road networks that enable access and sustainable mobility for all. Its approach is centred on key strategic components of knowledge transfer & information sharing, connecting people, businesses, and organisations, and working on policy & advocacy.
Introducing the 2021 IRF Start-up Label Winner: ASIMOB
One of the IRF’s goals is to support impactful mobility start-ups by helping them build trust with their stakeholders, and one way we do so is through the IRF Start-up Label. After a thorough assessment process by the members of the IRF Executive Committee, IRF announced this week during the ITS World Congress in Hamburg, the winner for the 2021 Edition of the IRF Start-up Label: ASIMOB.
In a nutshell, ASIMOB automates visual road inspections tasks to help maintenance teams in their everyday work. Its lightweight solution uses IoT and AI to detect incidences and help keep any type of road in the safest possible condition.
Some of the criteria taken into consideration for the final decision included: the impact on IRF’s key fields of action, environmental and social impacts, and level of innovation among others. Because we were astonished ourselves with their application, product and their overall identity, today we would like you to learn more about them too.
We asked the ASIMOB team some questions about their product and what they are trying to solve, but most importantly, from where the true essence of ASIMOB comes. Here is what we got:
1. Could you tell us in a few words what ASIMOB stands for, and what is the problem you are trying to solve?
ASIMOB is a startup company focused on the road maintenance sector, and the crucial role it plays for keeping roads as safe as possible. We believe all roads should benefit from new technologies, so we have developed an 'autonomous road inspector' as a tool to improve road monitoring and maintenance and reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes. Our system collects data and video from vehicles (which can be dedicated to other tasks) and applies Computer Vision and Data Analytics on the cloud in order to detect automatically incidences on the road (irregularities on the pavement, changes in signals, degradation in lane markings...). We improve the efficiency of the daily maintenance works and help to increase road safety.
2. What are the main challenges you are facing at the moment in your market?
Our main challenge is to raise awareness about the possibility of using technology as an affordable and flexible way to optimise daily road maintenance work. We need Public Authorities and maintenance companies to know that this type of solution exists, and that is applicable and feasible not only for highways but also for secondary roads. In fact, our solution is especially useful for the secondary roads, which are normally the deadliest ones.
3. We would like to know now more about the team. How was ASIMOB born, and why is your team the perfect fit for the solution you propose?
ASIMOB was founded in 2016 with Ibon and Beñat developing the first prototypes. They provide their expertise in digital transformation and software development. Other partners contribute with their expertise in Marketing, Laws and Business Development. Finally, Esti joined the project in 2019, providing her experience in an international company in the Intelligent Transportation Systems sector. We combine the knowledge of technology and the sector together with a passion for innovation.
4. What are your expectations as an IRF Start-up Label Winner?
We hope to raise awareness among Public Administrations and contribute, through new technologies and digital transformation, to the improvement of road maintenance and reduction of road casualties.
5. Where do you see ASIMOB in 10 years?
In 10 years ASIMOB will provide the autonomous road inspector in roads worldwide, helping toward the Vision Zero goal. And we will also have developed the system to check if a road can be used by level 4 or level 5 autonomous vehicles.
Estibaliz Barañano
General Manager at ASIMOB
Ibon Arechalde
President at ASIMOB
Beñat López
CTO at ASIMOB
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Building Capacity in Tanzania
Over 200 nominated road safety stakeholders from Tanzania received specialist road safety training on 22-23 September as part of the Ten Step Plan project currently underway in the country. This was the first of a three courses training programme that will explore road safety engineering, iRAP assessments, and road safety audits.
The group of consultants and engineers are drawn from road development agencies, the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, road safety NGOs, financing organisations, and academic institutions were selected by the project Steering Committee and Working Groups. Over the past months, three working groups have been in fact set up within the Ten Step Project to work on respectively: a new infrastructure road safety strategy and action plan; a revision of geometric road design standards; and the establishment of a national road assessment programme.
Developed in collaboration with global road safety and engineering experts, the 2-day course covered crash causation, the fundamental principles of road safety engineering based on a Safe System Approach, speed management, the economics of road safety, and the essential measures of a well-functioning road infrastructure safety management system, among others.
The Ten Step training programme aims to address skill gaps and develop participant skills to deliver road safety projects that prioritise the safety of all road users and eliminate high-risk roads in the country. The courses will be delivered as a mix of classroom-based and virtual self-paced sessions, as well as practical on-the-job training.
The Ten Step Pilot Project, jointly funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and the Global Road Safety Facility of the World Bank (GRSF), brings together the Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Works, TANROADS , and Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), World Bank, International Road Federation (IRF), World Road Association (PIARC), International Road Assessment Program (iRAP), Tanzania Road Federation (TARA), research institutions, NGOs and industry stakeholders.
Tanzania is the first country to pilot the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure It is designed to provide countries with a proven step-by-step process to build national capacity for safer road infrastructure and to help them achieve UN targets 3 and 4. It is expected more countries will follow, learning from Tanzania’s experience.
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IRF Gears Up Action for the Launch of the UN Decade of Action Plan
The launch of the plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety has been set for the 28th October. A global virtual event will be hosted by WHO and will be backed up by a series of events, initiatives that will take place before and after the official launch date. The purpose of these global, national and local launches and events is to create visibility for the Decade of Action and the Global Plan, in particular among governments, and generate the political will needed to develop and implement related national and local strategies to achieve the Decade of Action and related SDG targets.
To support the process and the momentum that the launch will generate, IRF is working on a number of global and local events and initiatives around road safety. IRF will kick off action on 9-11 October by hosting together with the Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Centre (University of Qatar) a three-day training on road safety audits. Preventive risk assessment tools, such as road safety audits and inspections, are an effective and essential instrument to help reduce the number of crashes and casualties.
Action on Road Safety will continue with the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference (14-16 October 2021), where a United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) side event will be hosted in digital format on 15th October 2021 on the topic Halving Road Deaths and Injuries by 2030: The UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
Last but not least, the IRF Annual Conference to be held on 20-21 October under the theme “Innovation: Charting Pathways to Sustainable Mobility” will be another occasion to continue with action on Road Safety. The Conference will feature a high-level session that will offer innovative insights into Road Safety investments.
To learn more about these events, visit our Events Page:
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IRF Signs Partnership with Torino City Lab
The City of Turin via "Torino City Lab" and the IRF have established a partnership with the aim of contributing to the creation of a territorial ecosystem favourable to urban innovation with a focus on smart city technologies and services.
Italy has long been known for its automotive excellence. Mobility is deeply rooted in Italy, but more specifically in the industrial and symbolic identity of the city of Turin. However, mobility today goes far beyond cars and requires fuelling new ideas to shape the mobility of tomorrow.
The City of Turin is engaged in a strategic redesign of its policies in support of local development, aimed at strengthening the penetration of new technologies and creating social impact, to bring new opportunities to its citizens and businesses.
In this context, Torino City Lab (TCL) was born as a collaboration between the City of Torino and other local partners. It is a platform aimed at creating simplified conditions for companies interested in conducting tests - in real conditions - of innovative solutions for urban living. Through this initiative, Torino wants to be recognised as an "open laboratory" for the development of urban innovation and as one of the entry points for its dissemination in Europe.
IRF, for its part, is proud to support this initiative by taking an active role in the development of the City Lab model through support for its activities, a greater focus on promoting user experience and by making available its tools and its well-established and vast network.
