The Safe and Inclusive Road Design in North and West Africa project, funded by the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and implemented by International Road Federation (IRF) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) in partnership with the Government of Mauritania, NARSA (Morocco), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and ANASER (Senegal), aims to improve road safety in Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal. It will update outdated design standards to better protect vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, and the elderly.
Targets & Objectives
By building on earlier initiatives like the Ten Step Plan in Tanzania and the EU’s SaferAfrica Project, the effort emphasises regional collaboration, particularly among French-influenced design standards, to harmonise safety practices along critical corridors like the Trans-African Highways. Capacity-building programs will train engineers, policymakers, and auditors in modern road safety techniques, fostering long-term institutional expertise. The project also aims to create a sustainable framework for updating standards, ensuring that safer, inclusive infrastructure becomes a lasting priority across North and West Africa.
Working in partnership with multilateral development banks and the relevant government entities of each pilot country, the project will review the national (GOST-SNiP) design standards and recommend updates that include aspects of safe road design within the national standards – working towards the development of a new regional standard that aligns with the Global Road Safety Targets and international best practices for safe road design.
Expected Outcomes
By including a focus on pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable road users, the project aims to achieve:
- Safer regional design standards;
- Improved accessibility and inclusivity, promoting sustainable cities, low-carbon transport solutions, and good health and well-being;
- Increased capacity of road designers across the three countries.
Project Partners
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