National Road Assessment Programme launched to eliminate high-risk roads in Tanzania

The Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Works and Transport marked the launch by signing a Letter of Intent to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) and the occasion culminated with the release of the survey vehicle which is to undertake a tranche of TanRAP surveys along approximately 1,000km in Tanzania this year.

A key milestone of the Ten Step Project Tanzania, TanRAP is an initiative headed by the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), which aims to build capacity and improve the safety of road infrastructure in the country in partnership with other leading stakeholders such as Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), Tanzania Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA), Tanzania Road Association (TARA), National Institute of Transport (NIT), Road Safety Ambassadors (RSA), Roads Fund Board (RFB), development banks, mobility clubs, road safety NGOs and industry.

Represented by the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Works and Transport, Hon. Atupele Mwakibete at the launch, the Minister of Works and Transport, Hon. Prof. Makame M. Mbarawa said, “We are proud to launch TanRAP today in collaboration with important local and international partners. Tanzania is the very first country to be selected under the United Nations Road Safety Fund initiative to implement the UNRSC Ten Step approach to improve road infrastructure safety on both new and existing roads. We are grateful for this privilege and the opportunity that this project has created for the creation and establishment of a National Road Assessment Programme in Tanzania.”

Rob McInerney, CEO of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) said, “TanRAP captures the iRAP spirit, connecting people and partners to ensure we solve problems once and share success quickly. By drawing on the globally recognised and freely-available iRAP methodology and software, and with connections to training and iRAP partners worldwide, TanRAP will help road agencies develop evidence-based policy and systematically manage safety on existing roads and new road designs”.

“Building capacity on all fronts and ensuring all new roads are built and existing roads upgraded to the 3-star or better standard for all road users will be critical to fatality and serious injury reductions in Tanzania” added Susanna Zammataro, Director General of the International Road Federation (IRF). “This is a key milestone of the Ten Step Project which is also supporting training in road safety engineering, iRAP Assessments and road safety audits; reviews of national strategy on safe infrastructure; and the national road design standards.”

Jointly funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) and by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (UKAid), through the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) of the World Bank, the Ten Step Plan Tanzania is a 30-month project designed to meet the specific needs of Tanzania and build sustainable institutional capacity, impact and partnerships. Under the guidance of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) the project is being implemented by a consortium led by the International Road Federation (IRF), and includes the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), the World Road Association (PIARC) and the Tanzania Roads Association (TARA). The project has brought together the Government of Tanzania through MoWT, TANROADS, TARURA, National Institute of Transport (NIT), and other leading institutions, NGOs and industry stakeholders in Tanzania.

Already 539 road safety professionals and engineers have recently received road safety training supported by the Ten Step Project and 16 have attained iRAP Supplier Accreditation to support the assessments. During the coming months, iRAP accredited experts will perform new assessments of existing roads and designs using the iRAP methodology and drawing on TANROADS and TARURA datasets. This will build on the more than 5,000 km of assessments of existing roads and designs previously funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) and undertaken by the GRSF.

Through TanRAP, the Ten Step Project will grow the length of existing roads and designs assessed to more than 10,000 km by March 2023 building on the more than USD$1 billion of road infrastructure investment already made safer through iRAP assessments.

TanRAP will support implementation of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 in Tanzania which provides a road map for how countries can halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

Achieving greater than 75 per cent of travel on 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030 stands to save 1.6 million lives and serious injuries over the 20-year life of treatments in Tanzania with an economic benefit of $26 for every $1 spent.