WB and UN stress on the urgency of road safety

Kathmandu, Sept. 26

World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region Hartwig Schafer and UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt underscored the urgency of action on road safety to save lives and boost economic growth.

During their visit to Nepal, Schafer and Todt met with Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth, and senior officials at the Ministry and Road Safety Council.

The meetings deliberated on Nepal’s road safety agenda and important progress being made with the drafting of the Road Safety Bill, formation of the National Road Safety Council, and updating of the Road Safety Action Plan.

 A meeting with civil society organisations was also held with fruitful discussion on bicycle and women’s road safety, said the WB.

“We are encouraged by the commitment of Nepal to address road safety issues,” stated Schafer. “It is important to expedite the enactment of the Road Safety Bill and fully empower the Nepal Road Safety Council, so it is adequately staffed and sustainably financed.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) global estimates, every year about 1.35 million people lose their lives on the road, and millions more sustain serious injuries that often result in permanent disability.

Nepal has one of the highest rates of road deaths in the region, with roughly 16 road deaths per 100,000 people a year. As per WHO 2015 estimates, road traffic accidents in Nepal also result in an annual cost of 0.8 per cent of GDP.

“The geographic landscape of Nepal makes its challenges special. However, we know the basic foundations that need to be in place to effectively manage road safety everywhere: strong governance, safe infrastructure, good road user behaviour, safe vehicles, and effective post-crash care,” stated Jean Todt. “I encourage Nepal to join and fully implement the key UN road safety conventions, which help countries address the major causes of road crashes through a strong regulatory framework.”

Nepal has pledged its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, including the ambitious target of halving the number of global deaths and injuries caused by road crashes. While Nepal firms up its legislation and institutional frameworks to ensure road safety, implementation will be key to bring to fruition the country’s commitment towards safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems.

“It is only through concrete actions that we will achieve our Sustainable Development Goal of significantly reducing the number of road fatalities. I look forward to our further joint efforts,” added Todt.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 27 September 2019.