EDITORIAL
Dear reader,
We are pleased to share with you a special edition of our IRF CROSSROADS as we look back at an exciting and successful Intertraffic Amsterdam. Last week, many of us were finally able to gather in person and in large numbers in Amsterdam after two challenging years of the Covid pandemic. For those who were not able to travel, but also for those present, we are happy to share with you in this special edition some of the highlights of the week for our Federation.
Good reading and look forward to meeting you all soon again!
Best wishes,
Susanna Zammataro
Director General
IRF General Assembly Extends Recognition to President Halkias
IRF General Assembly was convened in a hybrid format during Intertraffic. Approval of the IRF Annual Report 2021, elections of new Directors to the Board, new IRF officers and new IRF President were on the agenda for this GA spring meeting. Mr Anouar Benazzouz (Director General of Moroccan Highways) has been unanimously elected IRF President. He will be taking up the function at the end of the mandate of Mr Bill Halkias in May. The GA and the IRF Board of Directors have marked their gratitude to President Halkias by extending him a special certificate of appreciation.
ERTICO-ITS Europe and IRF Sign MoU
Intertraffic Amsterdam offered the perfect stage to mark ERTICO – ITS Europe and the International Road Federation’s commitment to safer, more efficient, and more sustainable transport and mobility. The two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 29 March in Amsterdam to further strengthen their collaboration and joint action. The partnership will ensure further exchange of knowledge and expertise and drive forward active discussion on key issues in the transport and mobility sector.
Next-Generation Network and Traffic Management: FRONTIER Project
Several new mobility services have the potential to improve the mobility system performance and make it more sustainable. However, to fully unleash their potential, they need to be integrated and managed through adequate traffic management systems.
The next generation of Traffic Management Systems (TMSs) offers agencies the possibility to improve safety and sustainability. Higher levels of automation and connectivity, the need to accommodate increased and diverse traffic with the same road capacity, to improve safety, reduce emissions, and optimise resources while delivering high-quality services, are some of the challenges agencies and operators face. IRF Director General, Susanna Zammataro, and IRF Deputy Director General, Gonzalo Alcaraz, took the stage at Intertraffic Amsterdam to present the FRONTIER project and discuss innovation advances shaping the future of traffic management.
IRF Launches a New Committee on Innovation
From the goals – universal access, efficiency, safety, green – to the tools: governance, data, technology. A new IRF Committee on Innovation is charting the pathways to sustainable mobility. Read more on the issues at stake in this article published in the magazine LeStrade both in Italian and English. Check also the proceedings of the dedicated workshop that was hosted at Intertraffic Amsterdam (see news below) to mark the launch of the Committee.
Workshop: Innovation Driving the Future of Sustainable Mobility
Transforming mobility requires more than just technology and infrastructure. Transforming mobility requires innovation on all fronts: in the way we think, we plan, we design, and we deliver, and manage transport systems. Hosted in a hybrid format, the workshop welcomed speakers from around the globe to share expertise on a common vision that sees innovation – in its broadest definition – driving the future of sustainable mobility. Check the recording and the presentations including wishes from Matthew Baldwin from the European Commission on the launch of the new IRF Committee on Innovation.
Workshop: Novel Practices for Effective Road Assets Management
Strengthening efficiency, climate-proofing, resilience, prevention & preparedness of our road assets have become critical issues for the resilience of not only our transport systems but also of our societies. The workshop hosted in hybrid format on 31 March discussed strategies, priorities, and innovative practices that can help meet current and future challenges.
If you missed the conversation, you can now access the recording and the presentations.
Women on Wheels: Holcim Launches Gender Diversity Programme
In honour of International Women’s Day, Holcim launched its Women on Wheels global framework and is taking action to close the gender gap.
As part of Holcim’s ongoing commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, the objective of this unique programme is to create a healthy, harmonious, and safer workforce. Holcim’s goal is to proactively recruit female truck drivers and welcome them into the Holcim family through local, national and global programmes. More than 150 women have been hired as truck drivers since the pilot was launched.
Moroccan Highways Celebrates Women Engineers
To celebrate International Women’s Day, the Société Nationale des Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM) has chosen this year to pay tribute to Moroccan women engineers in the field of civil engineering and their contribution to making Morocco an African leader in infrastructure.
The FIA Road Safety Advocacy Strategy (2021-2023)
Developed by the FIA and its members, the strategy builds on the outcomes of the Stockholm Declaration which calls for a new approach to safe mobility. It sets a step-change in direction and focus, moving away from the emphasis on awareness-raising to evidence-based interventions with a stronger monitoring and evaluation framework, allowing for objective assessment and measurement of the impact.
Dynniq Mobility Becomes SWARCO
Initiated at the end of September 2021, the merger between Dynniq and SWARCO proceeds according to plan and enters the next phase with the rebranding of the Dynniq Mobility companies. To establish a common feeling, both internally as well as externally, the company has decided to move towards a joint SWARCO organisation with a unified identity as quickly as possible.
Free Virtual Seminar on Non-Motorised Transport (NMT)
Under the theme “Walking the line for Non-motorised transport”, this free online Seminar will be held on 12 April at 8:30-13:30 CEST. The Seminar is organised by the National Department of Transport (NDoT) of South Africa in association with the South African Roads Federation (SARF) and the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL). Registrations are open, and the programme is available online.
Professional Training: Traffic Impact Studies
11 – 13 April 2022 – Online
Seminar on Non-Motorised Transport (NMT)
12 April 2022 – Online
Assessment and Analysis of Test Data
13 April 2022 – Online
Concrete Technology for Site Engineers & Technicians on Road Construction Projects
20 – 21 April 2022 – Online
Professional Training: Introduction to Crash Investigation
21 – 23 May 2022 – Doha, Qatar
30 May – 01 June 2022 – Toulouse, France
40th Annual South African Transport Conference 2022
04 – 07 July 2022 – Pretoria, South Africa
7th Regional Conference for Africa
18 – 20 October 2022 – Cape Town, South Africa
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