Projects

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Leaders' Conference

A conference for leaders and key policymakers was initiated by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and ADB. It was held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province from 28 November to 30 November 2001, and addressed by the Deputy Minister of MPS, Director of ADB's East and Central Asia Infrastructure Division, and representatives of various agencies. Over 150 delegates attended the conference, with considerable TV and newspaper coverage and publicity.

Objectives of the Conference

The conference aimed to

• present the findings of the Technical Assistance to the senior government officials and policy makers
• advance road safety awareness
• present international best practice cases and the critical success factors for road safety programs
• explore the need for urgent actions to tackle road safety problems
• assess the need for further capacity building
• assess the need for further financial support and resources

A comprehensive 10-session program was developed to cover the interdisciplinary topics of road safety, including current road safety status in the PRC, successful international practices, enforcement management, transport planning and traffic management, vehicle safety, equipment, data, institutional strengthening, and the required actions to attain these goals.

Conference Findings

The conference stressed the need for actions to urgently address the problem of road safety and traffic management. Domestic and international experts, senior officials of the central government, and representatives of the provinces concluded the conference with one strong message: "The problem is too big, there is an urgent need for non-traditional actions."

Some Observations

• Increase in road safety requirements is an unavoidable consequence of rapid economic growth and poverty reduction programs. Unless road safety is maximized, economic and social costs could erode a substantial part of the benefits of economic growth.
• Rapid growth in motorization will significantly worsen the number of road accidents unless urgent action is taken.
• It is important to realize that it is the poor who are most affected by ineffective road safety conditions. They are the most exposed to traffic.
• Without achieving road safety, the impact of Government investments in other poverty-related initiatives are diminished.
• Better roads, higher traffic volume, and increase of freight operations could bring more damage than benefits in the long run if road safety is ignored.
• Many of the problems encountered with road safety are predominantly institutional in nature:
  • insufficient information
  • inadequate road audits
  • shortage of staff, budget, and resources

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