Month: October 2023

In India, road safety is a major concern, responsible for 11% of global road accident fatalities despite hosting just 1% of the world's vehicles. Annually, nearly 150,000 lives are lost, with an additional 300,000 individuals suffering severe injuries. Nearly 10% of these fatalities take place near unsafe school zones, underscoring road safety as a significant societal concern.

Over 80% of these accidents are caused by preventable human errors, such as overspeeding, neglecting helmets, and violating traffic rules, highlighting the need to foster a cultural shift towards a humanistic road safety culture.

In a proactive effort to tackle this issue, the IRF India-Chapter (IRF IC) has introduced the School Zone Safety Programme. The initiative aims to cultivate a culture of road safety in our society from an early age and make school zones safer.

Implementation Strategy

Some of the activities being put in place by the Programme include:

• Advocating for the inclusion of a uniformed road safety syllabi in school curricula.

• Conducting safety audits of school zones based on IRC-32 standards, ranking them in a public portal for awareness, and simultaneously providing capacity-building through online training for conducting these audits.

• Collaborating with schools and local authorities to improve school zones through road markings, signage, pedestrian crossings, speed reduction measures, and footpaths.

• Promoting road safety awareness among children through creative activities, such as plays, quizzes, skits, drawing competitions, cartoons, and stories.

IRF-IC's methodology equips schools with unique login IDs for comprehensive road safety zone information, improving safety standard enforcement. Schools are then ranked based on safety compliance through audits, utilising color coding for easy identification by parents and citizens. In its pilot phase, IRF India-Chapter has audited four schools in New Delhi, with a goal to audit over 15 lakh schools by 2025.

On its next phase, IRF IC is partnering with organizations like 3M India to implement identified corrections for safer school environments, aiming to alleviate parental concerns. Their commitment underscores the urgency of school zone safety improvements, prioritising secure and welcoming student spaces while emphasising the importance of safeguarding children's well-being and future.

To learn more about the IRF IC School Zone Safety Programme visit their dedicated webpage or contact IRF India-Chapter at india@irf.org.in.

The International Road Federation (IRF) extends its heartfelt congratulations to its immediate Past President, Bill M. Halkias, on his recent election as the President of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) for the year 2024. This prestigious appointment marks a significant achievement in a career that spans over 40 years of leadership and dedication to the transportation and tolling industry.

Bill Halkias has been a prominent figure within the industry for many years. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise, having up to this day elected to serve as a member of the IBTTA Board of Directors for three 4-year terms, totalling 12years.

Mr Halkias’ career has seen him taking leadership positions in several prestigious associations. Notably, he served as the President of the International Road Federation (IRF) for the mandate of May 2019 – May 2022, during which he played a vital role in expanding the Federation’s partnerships and activities while navigating the organisation through the Covid pandemic. He has also served as President of ASECAP (Association Européen des Concessionnaires d’Autoroutes à Péage), and of HELLASTRON (Hellenic Association of Toll Roads Network) and HITE (Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers) in Greece.

His enduring commitment to the vision and mission of the IRF on delivering efficient, sustainable, and inclusive mobility systems remains unwavering. As he takes on this new role at IBTTA, he continues to serve as a dedicated member of the IRF's Executive Committee and Board of Directors, ensuring that his experience and leadership continue to benefit the sector.

IRF President, Anouar Benazzouz commented “We are proud to have Bill Halkias as a distinguished member of our Board and active supporter of our Federation since more than two decades. We wish him success as he takes on this new and exciting role as President of IBTTA and we look forward to celebrating him together with IBTTA members at the IRF World Congress in Istanbul on 15-18 October 2024”.

For the full list of IBTTA new officers appointed for 2024, click here.

In the dynamic landscape of urban mobility, where the world's bustling cities strive to meet the demands of efficient and sustainable transportation, the ITS World Congress 2023 emerged as a beacon of innovation. Held at the Suzhou International Expo Center in China from 16 to 20 October, this prestigious event once again served as a platform to promote the research of cutting-edge techologies in the field and the application of intelligent transportation systems. 

The International Road Federation (IRF), with its longstanding dedication to enhancing urban mobility, took a prominent role in shaping the discourse at the Congress. 

As the world gathered to explore the latest advancements in urban transportation systems, IRF Deputy General, Gonzalo Alcaraz, played a pivotal role in enriching the discourse. On the first day of the Congress, Alcaraz joined a panel of esteemed speakers for the executive session “Active Modes and ITS,” where he discussed how integrating ITS and other technologies into urban planning and management can lead to the creation of liveable, efficient, and sustainable environments that benefit everyone.  

Later, on 19 October, Mr Alcaraz took the role of moderator on the special interest session “Intelligent Connected Urban Transport and Smart Governance”, organised by the International Road Federation (IRF) and the China Highway and Transportation Society (CHTS). The session provided a platform for interactive dialogue between transport officials, state authorities, technology providers, and agency executives. It welcomed high-level speakers from the China ITS Industry Alliance, the Mobility Innovation Alliance Japan, and the Southeast University of China, among others. Together, they explored deployment scenarios, engineering measures, and business models being developed by various sectors to facilitate the transition towards autonomous mobility, while ensuring residents receive the necessary support. 

IRF further contributed to technical and scientific sessions on Communication Technologies and Cooperative Systems; Pilots, trials and tests of Intelligent and Autonomous Vehicles; and Next Generation of Traffic Management. 

Commenting on this edition of the Congress, Mr. Alcaraz stated "Participating in this edition of the ITS World Congress has been an enlightening experience. The discussions and collaborations at this event truly reflect the future of urban mobility, and I'm honoured to have played a part in shaping it." The active engagement in the fields of autonomous mobility, ITS, and urban transportation exemplifies the Federation's unwavering commitment to delivering efficient and sustainable mobility systems. 

On 19 October 2023, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launched its groundbreaking report, "Transportation 2050: Pathways to Decarbonization and Climate Resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean" with a remarkable online high-level debate. 

The report is the result of close cooperation of the IDB with the International Road Federation (IRF) and other leading organisations including the International Transport Forum (ITF), the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), and the Airports Council International - Latin America and Caribbean (ACI LAC). 

Understanding Climate Challenge and Bridging the Gap

The transportation sector, known for its significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, finds itself as both a contributor and a victim of climate change. The IDB's report meticulously explores the dual role of transportation in climate change, analysing its active and passive impact. It underscores the urgency of change, given that countries have less than a decade to significantly reduce emissions to avoid irreversible damage to our planet.

The report also identifies disparities between countries leading the global transformation of the transportation sector and those lagging behind. While pinpointing these gaps, the report suggests a roadmap for a more equitable and efficient transition towards climate-resilient transportation. It focuses on best practices and the concept of a just transition to elaborate recommendations to build an institutional and policy architecture that can accelerate the pace of systemic change needed to meet international objectives. 

The Road Transport Sector Commitment 

Moderated by Ana María Pinto, IDB’s Transport Division Chief, the launch event hosted an esteemed panel of speakers including IRF Director General, Susanna Zammataro, Graham Watkins (IADB), Agustina Calatayud (IADB), Stephen Perkins (ITF), Dionisio Gonzalez (UITP), Rafael Echeverne (ACI-LAC) and Ingrid Sidenvall (Global Maritime Forum). 

Ms Zammataro stressed IRF’s commitment towards the development of a climate-compatible transportation system and shared insights on how the road sector is moving forward in mitigating GHG emissions and in adapting to climate change impacts. She emphasised the importance of strong cooperation between the public and private sectors, underscoring the necessity to truly rethink the way we look at transportation and the need to embrace system thinking rather than sectoral approaches. IRF’s vision extends beyond the transition from fossil fuels to electrification, advocating for a systemic change that enhances equity and quality of life for all.  

Furthermore, she highlighted the need for regional green fund structures to mobilise private climate financing and addressed the imminent threats to transport infrastructure during hurricane seasons in the LAC region, emphasising the role of digitalisation, real-time data collection, and policy adjustments for effective risk management. 

 “The climate crisis provides an opportunity to bet on a new transportation model that puts people back at the centre and the quality of their life too. Taking advantage of this opportunity requires developing a systemic vision of change. Electrification will not solve it all” she said. “We need to work together to deliver efficient multi-modal transport systems and services. As the road sector, we need to ensure that we decarbonise without compromising the services we provide, and without undermining a network that serves all other transport modes, including active mobility and public transport” she added. 

In this era of climate action, IRF and its partners are not just addressing a challenge; they are pioneering a transformation. Together, they aim to reshape transportation in Latin America and the Caribbean, creating a more sustainable, climate-resilient, and equitable future for all.  

Asia, a region with 58% of the world's population and a significant contributor to global GDP at 48%, grapples with a pronounced transport infrastructure gap. Despite its economic significance, Asia possesses only a fraction of the global road and rail supply. Overcoming this infrastructure gap is paramount for Asia's continued economic progress and its relentless pursuit of poverty reduction. Developing safe, clean, and accessible transport infrastructure is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this context, the High-Level 15th Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum was held on 24-26 October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, under the theme of "Investing in Sustainable Transport: Catalysing Economic and Social Development in the SDG Era". The Forum gathered key stakeholders in the transportation sector from Asia and across the world to showcase the manifold economic, social, and environmental benefits stemming from the implementation of the Aichi 2030 Declaration on Environmentally Sustainable Transport (2021-2030). The forum also served as a platform to develop an Implementation plan for the Aichi 2030 Declaration while addressing the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in the transportation sector.

Key Policy Recommendations

The International Road Federation (IRF) played a pivotal role in the programme of the Forum with the participation of IRF Senior Programme Manager and Head of Statistics, Julia Funk. In a first instance, Ms Funk joined an esteemed panel of speakers in Plenary Session 6 aiming at reviewing Goal 6 of the Aichi 2030 Declaration “National Access and Connectivity”. In her presentation, she unveiled a series of policy recommendations crafted to enable the practical implementation of the road component of Goal 6 within the Aichi 2030 Declaration. These recommendations were a result of a report which IRF authored in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the SuM4All partnership, the High Volume Transport Applied Research (HVT) Programme and TRL.

Key policy recommendations encompassed the strengthening of road assessment management​, enhancing road networks and transport services​, harmonising rural and transport planning, promoting more sustainable and green initiatives, monitoring and evaluating the development of initiatives, and improving resilience and disaster preparedness​. The full list of recommendations is available here.

IRF Advancing the SDGs

During another plenary session, along other key organisations in the sector, Ms Funk made valuable contributions sharing a series of strategic activities the IRF is working on to bolster the objectives of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some of the activities introduced were:

• The LEARN Project: a joint initiative of the IRF and the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety aiming to enhance the data knowledge, skills, and actions of a selected group of road safety professionals and stakeholders via a hands-on, real-time and contextual capacity development process.  

• The Private Sector Road Safety Coalitions: an initiative led by the IRF in collaboration with the TotalEnergies Foundation aimed at establishing private sector road safety coalitions to improve road safety via hands-on, impact-oriented, and scalable activities. 

• The Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure: the pilot of which was implemented by IRF, iRAP and UNECA in Tanzania to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries by building the institutional capacity and regulatory framework, and the approach with concrete action on planned and/or existing road projects, soon to be rolled out in more countries.

• The Road Sector Join Statement for COP27: published along with ASECAP, IRU, ARMFA, ERTICO, ERF and ITA-AITES to restate the sector’s firm commitment to effectively reduce CO₂ emissions to net-zero by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement, calling for action that is pragmatic, ensures a just transition and embraces innovation. 

• The Oris-UNIDO Partnership: a groundbreaking initiative in collaboration with the IRF to optimise large road infrastructure projects and the delivery of sustainable and inclusive rural roads.

IRF’s involvement at the Forum underscored the Federation’s commitment to delivering efficient, sustainable, and inclusive transportation systems to advance the SDGs.

The International Road Federation (IRF) has marked a significant milestone this year by launching the 60th Edition of the IRF World Road Statistics (WRS), a comprehensive and up-to-date source of road and transport data.  

The 2023 edition of WRS presents meticulously updated data spanning the years 2016 to 2021 for over 200 countries and territories, offering over 200 key indicators, including Country Profiles, Road Networks, Road Traffic, Road Expenditures, CO2 emissions, and Energy consumption, among others. Thanks to the generous support of the TotalEnergies Foundation and the Michelin Corporate Foundation, the WRS Data is available for free through the IRF Data Warehouse Online Platform. 

“We are pleased to support the IRF World Road Statistics and the Data Warehouse as we believe in the power of data in informing the development and implementation of road safety policies and actions that are evidence -based. This unique compilation of data that hits a key milestone this year with the delivery of its 60^th edition has largely proved its value over the decades” commented Jacques Emmanuel Saulnier, Senior Vice President Citizenship Engagement & General Delegate of the TotalEnergies Foundation. 

The platform is thoughtfully designed to be interactive, enabling users to easily visualise the data. The platform allows users to, for example, compare data across multiple countries and time periods, compare several metrics for one country, access interactive road safety dashboards, visualise and download data in various formats, and many other possibilities. 

Empowering the Work of other Key Organisations 

Produced annually since 1964 by the IRF, the WRS has evolved into an indispensable reference tool, providing stakeholders with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions, influence policies, and drive the world toward more sustainable and efficient transportation systems. 

The Launch Event of this 2023 edition provided a platform for key organisations in the sector to share their insights on how the WRS contributes to their work. Representatives from other data repositories including SuM4All’s Global Tracking Framework for Transport, the CCG Transport Starter Data Kits, ADB’s Asian Transport Outlook (ATO) and the E-Survey of Road User’s Attitudes (ESRA) explained how the WRS Data allow them to not only complete but also validate their own data collection.  

“Tracking the gap between the transport sector’s ambition and reality requires consistent, reliable, and relevant data. Resources like the IRF World Road Statistics continue to be an indispensable constituent of SuM4All’s overall effort to monitor transport systems performance globally” commented Carolina Monsalve, SuM4All Program Manager, during the Launch Event.

Sudhir Gota, Co-Team Leader, Asian Transport Outlook (ATO) expressed “ATO's expertise in transforming data into actionable insights, policies, and investments is greatly enhanced by the essential role played by the IRF World Road Statistics. The WRS are instrumental in refining and validating our own data, ultimately reinforcing the successful execution of key ADB and AIIB projects throughout Asia”. 

The IRF World Road Statistics are also making significant contributions to data-driven projects, such as LEARN, a hands-on capacity building initiative to improve knowledge, skills, and collaborative actions on road safety data through a multi-stakeholder approach. 

Gladys Nyachieo, Senior Lecturer at the Multimedia University of Kenya and a member of the LEARN coalition, expressed the significance of this endeavour, stating, "Quality data is hard to obtain because it is typically very expensive. Having access to a free resource such as the IRF World Road Statistics is key to ensuring sustainability, replicability, and the scaling up of road safety data-driven projects like LEARN." 

To learn more about the IRF World Road Statistics and access the data, visit www.worldroadstatistics.org or contact the International Road Federation (IRF) at stats@irfnet.ch.

The International Road Federation (IRF) just concluded a successful and engaging week at the PIARC World Road Congress 2023. The event was attended by road experts, industry leaders, and stakeholders from around the world, providing a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration.

IRF's participation in the congress was marked by the hosting and contribution to a series of foresight sessions, workshops, and technical sessions. IRF joined high-level speakers from key organisations and international experts to address a wide range of topics, including road safety, connected mobility, rural roads, EV charging, digitalisation, inclusion and diversity, and much more. 

A high-level session organised by the CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, titled “Latin American and Caribbean Rural Roads: a Gateway to Development” discussed the extensive social benefits generated by rural road programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean. As reminded by Nicolas Peltier, Global Director of Transport at the World Bank, one billion people in the world today still lack access to all-weather roads. The Ministers of Public Works from Paraguay and Panama, alongside directors of governmental entities from Colombia, Chile, and Brazil, all shared their experience and stressed the importance of prioritising rural access in development strategies in order to alleviate poverty and improve food security. Joining this distinguished panel, IRF DG illustrated the IRF-ORIS-UNIDO partnership as an example of an innovative financing mechanism that is made possible thanks to the savings realised through the application of digital technologies to our sector.

The revolution brought in by digital technologies was central to the IRF-Oris workshop “Building a Climate-responsive Road Sector” hosted on 4 October. The workshop welcomed sustainability and digitalisation experts from AECOM, ADB, IRF, and Oris to explore how digital solutions can support the road sector to both mitigate its carbon footprint and anticipate climate change impacts to avoid early repairs.

On 4 October, IRF also hosted together with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) a Foresight Session on “Mobilising Investments and Partnerships for Road Safety Impact”. The session brought together a diverse panel of experts representing various organisations, including IRF, iRAP, the UNRSF, IFC, UNOPS, Aleatica, and the ADB. Together, they explored the business case for investments in safer roads and mechanisms by which the investments and partnerships - necessary to achieve the target of the Decade of Action - can be mobilised.

In partnership with the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR) IRF hosted on 5 October another Foresight Session under the theme "Physical & Digital Infrastructure for Large-Scale CCAM Adoption”. Speakers from AASHTO, AGENTSCHAP WEGEN & VERKEER, Trafikverket, SWARCO, MAPtm, Autostrade per l’italia and the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) joined the stage to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM). In particular, this session discussed how combining automated mobility with road infrastructure can improve safety, sustainability, and efficiency. It also examined why road authorities should invest in this integration, drawing on examples from the US and Europe to address the needs of infrastructure owners and operators for the future.

The final day of the Congress featured a Foresight Session conducted by IRF in collaboration with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The session, titled "Managing the Energy Transition: Scaling Up Deployment of EV Charging Infrastructure" examined the crucial role of infrastructure in supporting the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Experts from the World Bank, CEDR, ARUP, PIARC, ADM, IM Technologies Limited, Vinci Autoroutes, ADB, and the FHWA discussed: the business case for electric mobility and how it articulates in different regions of the world; the role that charging infrastructure plays and can play in accelerating the transition to electric mobility; actions that governments and financial institutions can take to facilitate and scale-up equitable deployment.

Additionally, IRF contributed to discussions at various other activities, including a side event organised by the China Highway and Transportation Society (CHTS) on “Sustainable Development and Innovation of Transport Infrastructure in the Context of Global Climate Change”; the iRAP Innovation Workshop, and the PIARC Foresight Session on "A Gender Inclusive Transport".