Leading Private Sector Companies Partner to Improve Road Safety in Morocco
Coordinated by the International Road Federation (IRF), yesterday a group of leading private sector companies active in Morocco have entered into a partnership to use their combined knowledge and expertise to reduce road deaths and injuries in the country. This initiative is rooted in the belief that road crashes are largely preventable and road safety is a shared responsibility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that road crashes claim 1.35 million lives and injure 50 million people worldwide annually. Most road crashes occur in developing countries where road transport constitutes one of the leading causes of death. In recognition of this global crisis, the United Nations has declared the years 2021 to 2030 as the new Decade of Action for Road Safety setting the ambitious target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50%. The United Nations have urged all stakeholders, including business leaders, to support the implementation thereof.
All founding members of the Morocco coalition – Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM), TotalEnergies Marketing Maroc, Ama Détergent, Derichebourg / ARMA, Karama Bus, La Voie Express, MaroTrans, Sahara Logistic Nord (SLN), SOTRAGAZ – believe that one road crash victim is one too many and are committed to reducing the number and severity of road crashes. It is with this in mind that the members have adopted a set of values and principles “The Coalition Charter” that define and elaborate a collective commitment towards the reduction of road deaths and injuries in Morocco.
“The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety recognises the significant contribution that the private sector can give in achieving the targets set for the decade. We are delighted to coordinate this work and to pro-actively engage private sector into collaborative and coordinated initiatives. This will help us step-up efforts to save lives” commented Susanna Zammataro, IRF Director General, at the launch of the coalition organised in Casablanca.
“This initiative is perfectly aligned with NARSA's goal of working with economic operators to ensure road safety is considered at all levels of management. You can count on our unwavering support for its positive outcome and development” commented Benacer Boulaajoul, Director of the National Agency for Road Safety in Morocco (NARSA) speaking at the signing ceremony of the Coalition's Charter
This initiative is rooted in the belief that road crashes are largely preventable and road safety is a shared responsibility. The initiative coordinated by the International Road Federation (IRF) and supported by the TotalEnergies Foundation is open to new members who share the same principles as defined in the coalition charter.
Besides Morocco, this year IRF has already launched a private sector coalition in Tanzania and Pakistan and is currently at work to extend the initiative to other countries in Africa and beyond.
For more information, please contact the International Road Federation at info@irfnet.ch.
Founding Members of the Road Safety Coalition in Morocco
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.
Des entreprises de premier plan s’allient pour renforcer la sécurité routière au Maroc
Coordonné par la Fédération Routière Internationale (IRF), hier, un groupe d'entreprises de premier plan actives au Maroc a conclu un partenariat pour utiliser leurs connaissances et leurs expériences combinées pour réduire les décès et les blessures sur les routes au Maroc. Cette initiative repose sur la conviction que les accidents de la route peuvent en grande partie être évitées et que la sécurité routière est une responsabilité partagée par tous.
L'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) estime que les accidents de la route font 1,35 million de morts et 50 millions de blessés dans le monde chaque année. La plupart des accidents de la route se produisent dans les pays en développement où le transport routier constitue l'une des principales causes de décès. Reconnaissant cette crise mondiale, les Nations Unies ont déclaré les années 2021 à 2030 comme la nouvelle Décennie d'Action pour la sécurité routière, fixant l'objectif ambitieux de réduire d'au moins 50 % les décès et les blessures sur les routes. Les Nations Unies ont exhorté toutes les parties prenantes, y compris les chefs d'entreprise, à soutenir sa mise en œuvre.
Tous les membres fondateurs de la coalition marocaine – Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM), TotalEnergies Marketing Maroc, Ama Détergent, Derichebourg/ARMA, Karama Bus, La Voie Expresse, MaroTrans, Sahara Logistic Nord (SLN), SOTRAGAZ – sont convaincus que chaque vie humaine compte et qu'une victime d'accident de la route est une victime de trop ! Ils se sont ainsi engagés à réduire le nombre et la gravité des accidents de la route. C'est dans cet esprit que les membres ont adopté un ensemble de valeurs et de principes « La Charte de la Coalition » qui définissent un engagement collectif en faveur de la réduction des décès et des blessures sur les routes au Maroc.
« Le Plan Mondial pour la Décennie d'Action pour la sécurité routière reconnaît la contribution significative du secteur privé. Ce dernier peut contribuer à la réalisation des objectifs fixés pour la décennie. Nous sommes ravis de coordonner ce travail et d'impliquer de manière proactive le secteur privé dans des initiatives collaboratives et coordonnées. Cela nous aidera à intensifier nos efforts pour sauver des vies », a commenté Susanna Zammataro, directrice générale de l'IRF, lors du lancement de la coalition organisé à Casablanca.
« Cette initiative est parfaitement alignée avec l’objectif de la NARSA de travailler avec les opérateurs économiques pour que la sécurité routière soit prise en considération à tous les niveaux du management. Vous pouvez compter sur notre soutien indéfectible pour son aboutissement et son développement » a commenté Benacer Boulaajoul, Directeur de l’Agence Nationale pour la Sécurité Routière au Maroc (NARSA) intervenant à la cérémonie de signature de la Charte de la Coalition.
L'initiative - coordonnée par la Fédération Routière Internationale/International Road Federation (IRF) et soutenue par la Fondation TotalEnergies - est ouverte à de nouveaux membres partageant les mêmes principes que ceux définis dans la charte de la coalition.
Outre le Maroc, l'IRF a déjà lancé cette année une coalition du secteur privé en Tanzanie et au Pakistan et travaille actuellement pour étendre l'initiative à d'autres pays d'Afrique et au-delà.
Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter la Fédération Routière Internationale à info@irfofficial.org.
Membres fondateurs de la coalition au Maroc
La Fédération Routière Internationale (IRF) est une organisation mondiale, indépendante et à but non lucratif dont le siège est à Genève, en Suisse. Active depuis 1948, l'IRF est une organisation représentant les principaux acteurs corporatifs et institutionnels issus des secteurs de la route et de la mobilité dans le monde entier. Sa mission est de favoriser le développement de routes et de réseaux routiers permettant l'accès et la mobilité durable pour tous. Son approche est centrée sur trois axes stratégiques : le transfert de connaissances et le partage d'informations, la mise en réseau des personnes, des entreprises et des organisations, et le travail sur les politiques et le plaidoyer.
Preparation of the High-Level Meeting on Road Safety 2022
On 3 December 2021, a one-day event took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in preparation for the General Assembly High-level Meeting on Global Road Safety that will be held on 30 June and 1 July 2022. Convening dignitaries and high-level speakers, the event was articulated around two main parts: the first one dedicated to an interactive thematic dialogue on investment in road safety, and the second reserved to an interactive multi-stakeholder exchange.
The first session held two panels, one on domestic financing and another on private and international financing. With the participation of ministers and other dignitaries from around the world, this panel discussed the funding needed to meet the global target of a 50% reduction in road traffic deaths by 2030 and how to provide access to safe and sustainable transport systems for all by 2030. Current domestic and international investments in transportation were also discussed and evaluated.
Dagamawit Moges, Ethiopian Minister of Transport, shared how Ethiopia is managing domestic finance for a Road Safety and Insurance Fund Service Regulation that allocates at least 5% of road fund fees to emergency medical services for a post-crash response. Ms. Moges called for road safety as a critical investment globally, but especially in Africa. Strategies for transportation funding in the short-term (from the private sector and international agencies as well as other stakeholders) and how to more sustainably fund transportation systems in the long term were discussed as well.
Intervening at the end of the first panel on domestic financing, IRF Director General, Susanna Zammataro stressed that many of the opening interventions were passionate calls for more action and commitment and that very often what translates words into action is leadership. She urged invited ministers to show their leadership by coming to the High-Level Meeting next year together with their finance minister and prime minister and commit to do what is needed and “bring the private sector with you” she added.
“We have evidence-based solutions to solve this problem. There’s tremendous expertise available. Help us to help you and your people” she said.
Ms. Zammataro concluded by addressing a question “ (…) to Ministers who sit in governments, especially to those who have succeeded in mobilizing adequate state budget for road safety, what advice do you give to those countries where RS is not yet seen as a MUST but as a hard choice to make: so either I invest in safety or I invest in something else”.
“How have you succeeded in getting out of that corner and false debate?” she asked.
Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy for the African Union, responded that incentives and opportunities for the private sector are crucial. Saul Antonio Castelar Contreras, Vice Minister of Transport for El Salvador, stressed the importance of showing evidence-based results. Andy Fillmore, a Canadian member of Parliament asserted that government engagement with the public is instrumental in persuading those that are not yet persuaded to invest in road safety.
The second session featured panels on the role of the private sector, civil society, academia, and youth in road safety engagement as well as the role of governments, regional integration bodies, the UN and other international organisations. These panellists emphasized the importance of governments working together with non-state actors for better road safety. The role of academic institutions in gathering research and filling in knowledge gaps about road safety, the role of the youth and civil society in advocating for better road safety, and the importance of private corporations applying the safe system approach and reporting on their safety performance and sustainability were discussed.
A recording of the session can be found on UN Web TV. More information on the event, as well as supporting documents, can be found here.
IRF President Addresses the 48th Edition of the ASECAP Days
Regaining trust and confidence to boost the economy and to recover from the pandemic
The world has been hit by an unprecedented pandemic which has caused an economic recession and struck all economic sectors in Europe and the rest of the world, including the road infrastructure sectors, very hard.
The Association Européenne des Concessionaires d’Autoroutes et d’Ouvrages à Péage (ASECAP) hosted its 48th ASECAP Days in a fully digital format on 10 November 2021, welcoming over 200 participants from 17 countries. Some of the key topics addressed: Infrastructure Financing, Sustainable Transport Solutions, Road Safety, CCAM, Emerging Technologies, and R&D Road Infrastructure Projects.
The 48th ASECAP Study & information days focussed on lessons learned and on how to enhance safe mobility solutions that can boost the economy and recovery from the pandemic crisis, by stimulating investments aimed at reaching the EU objectives of vision zero in terms of road traffic fatalities and of CO2 emissions.
IRF President, Bill Halkias, joined a group of high-level speakers for the political panel on “EU Green Deal: Accelerating mobility project delivery that meet climate change challenges targeting carbon-free emission with sustainable funding and investments".
Halkias put forward three key points:
1. Supporting economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic means – among others – providing adequate access to opportunity via an efficient transport network and keeping in mind local context while doing so.
“Solutions vary of course across countries, depending on the local context and priorities. Local context does matter as for example, in areas where access remains a challenge and infrastructure is insufficient, the emphasis may be on expanding and upgrading transport networks, both within and between countries. This is still the case for large parts of Europe and we have pointed out this during the recent public consultation on the Transport Lending Policy of the European Investment Bank” he said.
2. Repurposing of roads and rehabilitation of roads should be central in any recovery, growth, or climate transition strategy. “They serve both the decarbonization agenda and the road safety agenda” Halkias stressed. He made reference in particular to the importance of safe mobility & transport as an enabler of Sustainable Development Goals.
“The solutions to save lives exist, but there is currently a significant underfunding of infrastructures for road safety. We need more targeted investments for new and upgraded infrastructure. Safe roads will save lives, save money, and will create jobs.” he added.
Unprecedented challenges require unprecedented solutions. Mr. Halkias pointed out the need for innovative financing in order to make an impact and the role that public and private partnerships will play in this context.
3. In his third and final point, Mr. Halkias stressed that an integrated and efficient transport system is THE response to the challenges that the road transportation sector is facing.
In this respect, he recalled that the International Road Federation is fully aligned with the vision that underpins the Sustainable Mobility for All Initiative led by the Work Bank. It is a vision that sees the avoid-shift-improve approach having a central role. Avoid or reduce travel, Shift to more energy-efficient modes, Improve efficiency through technology. “A vision built around four key pillars of sustainable transport: universal access, efficiency, safety, and green mobility. Each of these aspects bolsters the commitment to leave no one behind, including vulnerable groups, such as the poor, women, children and youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities” concluded Halkias.
Latest News
The International Road Federation (IRF) Partners with the International Union of Railways (UIC) and Operation Lifesaver Estonia (OLE) to Stop Crashes at Level Crossings and Save Lives
A level crossing is an interface between road and rail infrastructure. According to the 1968 UNECE Convention on Road Traffic and the Highway Code, trains have priority, whilst road users and pedestrians must comply with road signs and signals in order to cross safely and consequently prevent any collision arising from misuse or inappropriate behaviour and potentially endangering train passengers, crew and other users.
Using a level crossing is safe as long as users cross properly. Nevertheless, risks still exist and the consequences of a collision between a train and a commercial vehicle can be dramatic. Global freight and passenger traffic, both road and rail, have increased markedly in recent decades, thereby also increasing the risk of collisions at level crossings.
The International Union of Railways (UIC), the International Road Federation (IRF), two worldwide road and rail associations, plus Operation Lifesaver Estonia (OLE), have decided to join forces to raise awareness about level crossing safety amongst light vehicle drivers and thus contribute to the reduction of collisions and related casualties.
The three organisations have jointly developed two dedicated safety flyers (one for 2-wheel-light-motorised vehicles and one for 4-wheel-light-motorised vehicles), available below in English, French, and Spanish. Both flyers do not necessarily cover every situation that may arise when drivers of light vehicles use a level crossing, but they will certainly raise awareness on how to avoid the risks that may lead to a collision.
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.
The International Union of Railways (UIC) is a global not-for-profit association founded in 1922 and based in Paris representing the railway sector and promoting rail transport.
Operation Lifesaver Estonia (OLE) is an international, non-profit education and awareness programme dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way. To accomplish its mission, Operation Lifesaver promotes the 3 Es: Education, Enforcement and Engineering.
Private Sector Road Safety Coalition Launched in Pakistan
Coordinated by the International Road Federation (IRF), today a group of leading private sector companies active in Pakistan have entered into a partnership to use their combined knowledge and expertise to reduce road deaths and injuries in the country. The initiative is the result of the partnership between TotalEnergies Foundation and the International Road Federation (IRF) aiming at establishing private sector road safety coalitions in a number of countries around the world. The objective is to federate private sector stakeholders and to help them work with international institutions, NGOs, and local authorities to improve road safety via hands-on, impact-oriented, and scalable activities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that road crashes claim 1.35 million lives and injure 50 million people worldwide annually. Most road crashes occur in developing countries where road transport constitutes one of the leading causes of death. In recognition of this global crisis, the United Nations has declared the years 2021 to 2030 as the new Decade of Action for Road Safety setting the ambitious target of reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50%. The United Nations have urged all stakeholders, including business leaders, to support the implementation thereof.
All founding members of the Pakistan coalition – TOTAL PARCO Pakistan, Toyota Indus Motor Company, Shell Pakistan, Unilever Pakistan Limited, PARCO Pearl Gas Limited, Coca-Cola Pakistan, Engro Fertilizers Limited, and NMC – believe that one road crash victim is one too many and are committed to reducing the number and severity of road crashes. It is with this in mind that the members have adopted a set of values and principles “The Coalition Charter” that define and elaborate a collective commitment towards the reduction of road deaths and injuries in Pakistan.
“At TotalEnergies, safety is a core value that is embedded in all of our processes. With a presence in 130 countries, we work in partnership with local road safety players, such as NGOs, local authorities and schools, to develop trust-based relationships thanks to which we can efficiently move forward the road safety agenda. By pooling now private sector strengths and resources together via these in-country coalitions, we can all maximise our reach and impact” said Abdoul-Wahab in charge of Road Safety at TotalEnergies Foundation.
“This initiative is rooted in the belief that road crashes are largely preventable and road safety is a shared responsibility. IRF strongly believes that partnerships are the key driver of success and long-term impact in the reduction of road crashes. We are delighted to coordinate this work and to pro-actively engage private sector into collaborative and coordinated initiatives. This will help us step-up efforts to reach the targets set by the new Decade of Action” commented Susanna Zammataro, IRF Director General, at the launch.
The initiative coordinated by the International Road Federation (IRF) and supported by the TotalEnergies Foundation is open to new members who share the same principles as defined in the coalition charter.
Besides Pakistan, IRF has already launched a private sector coalition in Tanzania this year and is currently working on the launch in Morocco.
For more information, please contact the International Road Federation at info@irfofficial.org
Founding Members of the Road Safety Coalition
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.
TotalEnergies Foundation encompasses the citizenship initiatives conducted every day worldwide by our sites, our affiliates and our corporate foundation. Through this global program, TotalEnergies aims to contribute to development in our host communities and regions, alongside our partners. With a special focus on young people, our four priority areas of action are road safety, climate, coastal areas and oceans, youth inclusion and education, and cultural dialogue and heritage. Our social engagement is integral to our ambition to be a world-class player in the energy transition.
fondation.totalenergies.com/en
