IRF Project | Ten Step Tanzania

Jointly funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (UKAid), through the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) of the World Bank, the 30-month pilot project aimed to curb the more than 16,000 people (estimated) who die on Tanzania's roads each year.

Under the guidance of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the project was implemented by a consortium led by the International Road Federation (IRF) headquartered in Geneva,Switzerland, and made up of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Tanzania Roads Association (TARA). It brought together the Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA), Roads Fund Board, National Institute of Transport (NIT), as well as other leading institutions, road safety NGOs and industry stakeholders in Tanzania.

The project led to the shaping of a National Training, Accreditation and Certification Scheme to build local capacity for the assessment, audit and design of safer roads. Over 500 road safety stakeholders were trained in how to make Tanzania’s roads safer, and the number of certified Road Safety Auditors and iRAP Accredited practitioners was rapidly expanded. As a result, Tanzania has now been ranked second in the world in terms of iRAP Accreditation.  

Thanks to the assessments performed during the project – using the global iRAP methodology –infrastructure safety was expanded to more than 10,000 km and associated investment plans were developed to optimise the reduction in road trauma and provide the business case for safer roads at the national and corridor level. They are helping to shape safety recommendations that can influence more than USD$1 billion of development bank-financed transport corridor projects in the country. 

Among key milestones delivered by the project were recommendations for a National Road Infrastructure Safety Strategy and Action Plan, and for the revision of the Tanzania Road Geometric Design Manual, prioritising the safety of all road users.

TanRAP, a locally owned and led Road Assessment Programme for Tanzania, was also launched led by the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT). TanRAP continues to build capacity, develop evidence-based policy and improve the safety of road infrastructure through results-based financing in the country in partnership with other leading stakeholders such as PO-RALG, RFB, TANROADS, TARURA, TARA, NIT, Road Safety Ambassadors (RSA), development banks, mobility clubs, road safety NGOs and industry. 

Project results and ongoing TanRAP activity will support the implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 in Tanzania, which provides a roadmap for how countries can halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. 

Jointly funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (UKAid), through the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) of the World Bank, the 30-month pilot project has built sustainable institutional capacity for safer roads, as well as impact and partnerships to save lives and reduce serious injuries resulting from road crashes. 

Under the guidance of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) the project has been implemented by a consortium led by the International Road Federation (IRF), and including the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Tanzania Roads Association (TARA). The project has brought together the Government of Tanzania through MoWT, TANROADS, TARURA, National Institute of Transport (NIT), and other leading institutions, NGOs and industry stakeholders in Tanzania. 

Since its launch in March 2021, the project has helped to embed improvements in how thousands of new and existing kilometres of Tanzania’s road network will be designed, upgraded, and managed for improved road safety now and in the future. Over 500 local stakeholders have been trained and certified on road safety audits, iRAP assessments, and start rating of designs. Thanks to the assessments performed during the project, infrastructure safety data has now been expanded to more than 10,000 km.  The project has also delivered recommendations for a National Road Infrastructure Safety Strategy and Action Plan that puts the safety of all road users at its heart. 

The establishment of TanRAP, a locally owned and led Road Assessment Programme for Tanzania, the revision of the road geometric design manual, and the development of a dedicated training and accreditation scheme are among the key project achievements being celebrated today at the event. 

Represented by Hon. Saad Mtambule, Commissioner Kinondoni District, the Hon. Prof. Makame M. Mbarawa (MP), Minister for Works and Transport, Tanzania said “Road safety is the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years old. We have a moral obligation to act and to reverse this trend and the Ten Step Project has equipped us with the knowledge, skills and tools to do so. We feel proud for this privilege and for the results that these 30 months of collective work have delivered”. The Minister also recognised the dedicated collaboration of many national and international partners, who have made Tanzania the very first country in the world to implement the project. 

Project results and ongoing TanRAP activity will support in Tanzania the implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 which provides a road map for how countries can halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. 

The Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Works and Transport marked the launch by signing a Letter of Intent to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and the occasion culminated with the release of the survey vehicle which is to undertake a tranche of TanRAP surveys along approximately 1,000km in Tanzania this year.

A key milestone of the Ten Step Project Tanzania, TanRAP is an initiative headed by the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), which aims to build capacity and improve the safety of road infrastructure in the country in partnership with other leading stakeholders such as Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA), Tanzania Road Association (TARA), National Institute of Transport (NIT), Road Safety Ambassadors (RSA), Roads Fund Board (RFB), development banks, mobility clubs, road safety NGOs and industry.

Represented by the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Works and Transport, Hon. Atupele Mwakibete at the launch, the Minister of Works and Transport, Hon. Prof. Makame M. Mbarawa said, “We are proud to launch TanRAP today in collaboration with important local and international partners. Tanzania is the very first country to be selected under the United Nations Road Safety Fund initiative to implement the UNRSC Ten Step approach to improve road infrastructure safety on both new and existing roads. We are grateful for this privilege and the opportunity that this project has created for the creation and establishment of a National Road Assessment Programme in Tanzania.”

Rob McInerney, CEO of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) said, “TanRAP captures the iRAP spirit, connecting people and partners to ensure we solve problems once and share success quickly. By drawing on the globally recognised and freely-available iRAP methodology and software, and with connections to training and iRAP partners worldwide, TanRAP will help road agencies develop evidence-based policy and systematically manage safety on existing roads and new road designs”.

“Building capacity on all fronts and ensuring all new roads are built and existing roads upgraded to the 3-star or better standard for all road users will be critical to fatality and serious injury reductions in Tanzania” added Susanna Zammataro, Director General of the International Road Federation (IRF). “This is a key milestone of the Ten Step Project which is also supporting training in road safety engineering, iRAP Assessments and road safety audits; reviews of national strategy on safe infrastructure; and the national road design standards.”

Jointly funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (UKAid), through the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) of the World Bank, the Ten Step Plan Tanzania is a 30-month project designed to meet the specific needs of Tanzania and build sustainable institutional capacity, impact and partnerships. Under the guidance of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) the project is being implemented by a consortium led by the International Road Federation (IRF), and includes the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Tanzania Roads Association (TARA). The project has brought together the Government of Tanzania through MoWT, TANROADS, TARURA, National Institute of Transport (NIT), and other leading institutions, NGOs and industry stakeholders in Tanzania.

Already 539 road safety professionals and engineers have recently received road safety training supported by the Ten Step Project and 16 have attained iRAP Supplier Accreditation to support the assessments. During the coming months, iRAP accredited experts will perform new assessments of existing roads and designs using the iRAP methodology and drawing on TANROADS and TARURA datasets. This will build on the more than 5,000 km of assessments of existing roads and designs previously funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) and undertaken by the GRSF.

Through TanRAP, the Ten Step Project will grow the length of existing roads and designs assessed to more than 10,000 km by March 2023 building on the more than USD$1 billion of road infrastructure investment already made safer through iRAP assessments.

TanRAP will support implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 in Tanzania which provides a road map for how countries can halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

Achieving greater than 75 per cent of travel on 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030 stands to save 1.6 million lives and serious injuries over the 20-year life of treatments in Tanzania with an economic benefit of $26 for every $1 spent.

The Ten Step 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 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.

The workshop, which will run across three days, focuses on broad sharing of information and detailed activity planning.

“Through the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure Pilot Project, Tanzania is heading in the right direction to meet the objectives of the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety as well as Africa’s post-2020 Road Safety Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan. ECA is therefore committed to ensuring the successful implementation of the project” said Robert Lisinge, Chief of Infrastructure and Services Section of UN-Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in his keynote address.

“The Government of The United Republic of Tanzania appreciates the decision to implement the pilot project in our country and promises to be fully involved in its implementation in order to realize the target of safer road infrastructure for all road users” said Minister Leonard Madaraka Chamuriho in his opening remarks.