Rwanda on September 26 received the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award in recognition of the country’s commitment to embracing road safety measures to protect the lives of people.
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The award was presented to the Ambassador of Rwanda to Morocco, Zaina Nyiramatama, during a ceremony to mark its second edition, which took place in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, and the Kofi Annan Foundation, the Koffi Annan Road Safety Award recognises outstanding contributions to reducing fatalities and injuries from road crashes in Africa.
By celebrating excellence in thinking and action, the award seeks to inspire governments, private sectors, civil society organisations, and individuals to develop and implement innovative initiatives that can save lives on the continent’s roads.
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Speaking during the awarding ceremony, Nyiramatama said that Rwanda is committed to continuing putting in place both soft and hard infrastructure initiatives aiming at combating road crashes.
"In order to produce positive road safety outcomes, we have to bear in mind that strong management in all aspects of road safety is key. The presence of a funded lead agency to guide the national road safety effort and implement a Safe Systems approach should be a guiding factor on this cause,” she added.
Nyiramatama highlighted that Rwanda has induced road safety campaigns such as Gerayo Amahoro (meaning reach safely) countrywide to mitigate accidents largely resulting from reckless driving behaviours, which she said created a big difference in regards to saving the lives of the citizens.
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She noted that the country also invested heavily in the construction and rehabilitation of roads while correcting dangerous spots and providing good road riding quality, explaining that currently, 96.6 per cent of the country’s paved road network is in good condition.
"In urban centres,” she continued, "the current road cross section separates the roadway with cyclist and pedestrian dedicated lanes. That promotes healthy mobility, equitability, and safety to all road users.”
Nyiramatama further highlighted that speed governors were made mandatory in buses and trucks over 3.5 tonnes to mitigate crashes resulting from over speeding.
She added that speed cameras were installed on all paved road networks, especially at critical zones in urban centres, over speeding prone zones across the country, declaring that the initiative contributed to reducing fatalities for the last two years.
The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 reflects an ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030. It also highlights that they can be prevented by addressing the whole of the transport system, taking action to ensure safe roads, vehicles, and behaviours as well as improving emergency care.
Nyiramatama urged the participants to embrace safety as a prerequisite for a better tomorrow.
"I therefore invite all road safety and sustainable mobility partners to continue supporting this noble cause through leveraging required finance and other resources to improve and promote enhanced sustainable transport systems,” she said.