The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says it has trained representatives from 24 non-profit organisations in 15 African countries on how to protect vulnerable road users.
It was learnt that the training was part of UNEP’s Share the Road programme and was done in partnership with the Global Alliance of non-governmental Organisations for road safety, it said in a statement.
‘It is critical that road safety campaigners, along with city planners and national governments, work more closely together to achieve common goals in ensuring safer streets’, Head of Sustainable Mobility Unit at UNEP Rob de Jong said.
‘This training has helped to build bridges between different agendas and equipped NGOs to influence their local and national agendas in ways that will help cities and rural communities across Africa to be safer, cleaner, and healthier’.
Development Diaries understands that sub-Saharan Africa reportedly has the highest per capita rate of road fatalities than any region in the world.
It was gathered that in a bid to avoid crowded buses and trains, there is a growing awareness of walking and cycling amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research done by Share the Road.
During the recent training, Share the Road worked closely with the African chapter of the Global Alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for Road Safety.
‘This training is helping NGOs to push this important agenda with their governments and communities’, said Executive Director for the Alliance, Lotte Brondum, said.
Source: UN Environment
Photo source: Piggspeak
