Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
107
The strategy focussed on the following:
 A thorough evaluation of road safety activities conducted since 1994;
 Developing a diagnosis of the current road safety situation;
 An analysis of traffic accident data and costing of accidents;
 The development of a 5-year action plan, including evaluating the implementation plan and
assessing the success of it;
 The development of proposals to secure funding and funding sources for road safety.
As mentioned earlier, a new strategic plan covering the period from 2015 has not yet been
developed but is under consideration.
Implementation success
The Ministry of Transport has implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the
management and security of transport related permits, licences and documents, some of which
are still being finalised. The main reforms include the following:
 Reorganisation of the driver licence examination system;
 Computerisation of driver licenses;
 Introducing a license penalty points system for drivers (this has still not yet come into effect);
 Compulsory roadworthy testing for vehicles;
 Computerised permits for taxi drivers;
 Creation of technical vehicle control centres.
Furthermore, the authorities in Cameroon are addressing the growing problem related to road
user behaviour, particularly those related to infringements of traffic laws and related to critical
offences. The National Gendarmerie (responsible for enforcement of roads primarily outside the
urban areas) has initiated the 85 week "Operation control surveillance-repression” programme
with particular emphasis on the enforcement of:
 Speed limits;
 The use of seat belts;
 Drink driving and drugs;
 The technical control of vehicles.
The Gendarmerie has intensified its enforcement of critical offences since 2011 and has
established a database (with the support of the EU) with which the programme is monitored
and adapted. The results of intensified enforcement and high visibility on specific strategic
transport corridors (such as between Yaoundé and Douala) has been demonstrated in reduced
infringements and crashes.
The controls on urban roads appear to be less effective than those in interurban areas, especially
with respect to offences such as driving without a seatbelt and using mobile phones while
driving. The National Police, unlike the Gendarmerie, have no dedicated programme targeting
critical offences and where enforcement is carried out, it is ad hoc (request from local
authorities) and based on local knowledge. There are no targets set to manage critical offences