Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
120
controlling department. Co-ordination of the road safety activities takes place in the earlier
mentioned committees.
CNPAC is a leading road safety organisation in Morocco and because of its central role it is
mentioned separately. The CNPAC is a public utility establishment in 1977. It is a legal entity,
and placed under the technical control of the METL and under the financial authority of the
Ministry of Economy and Finances. In order to improve road safety, CNPAC participates in
studying and proposing, with the competent authorities, all intended measures to reduce the
number of traffic accidents; in the education of the public and in puttingmaterials at the disposal
of the services in charge of road safety.
Road safety strategies
Following the growing road safety problems at the beginning of this century, the Moroccan
Government, assisted by a Swedish Agency, developed a national road safety strategy whose
objectives are assigned to reverse the upward trend in the annual number of fatalities and
serious injuries, and reduce a sustained and continuous fatalities and serious injuries.
To implement this strategy, the government has developed three-year emergency Integrated
Strategic Plans (PSIU), which integrates actions with immediate effect and value on improving
road safety in Morocco. The first of these was the 2004 version (the strategy for 2003-2013)
which sets the foundation for all later strategies.
The 2004 PSIU outlined an action plan directed at the following 7 focus areas:
1. Coordination and management of road safety at a high level;
2. Legislation;
3. Control and sanctions;
4. Driver training and reform of the license tests driving;
5. Road infrastructure and urban roads;
6. Relief provided to victims of traffic accidents (Emergency services); and
7. Communication and education.
The plan sets out an ambitious programme to undertake a number of steps and actions in each
of these areas. Examples included the formation of various committees to better manage and co-
ordinate road safety (Focus area 1); the revision of the road code and changes to legislation and
laws (Focus area 2); additional equipment and improved coordination of enforcement activities
(Focus area 3); adoption of a professional driver code for track and bus drivers (Focus area 4);
develop and improve rural road standards and reduce black spots (Focus area 5); improving
skills and training of emergency response personnel (Focus area 6) and to adopt and develop
action plans and strategy implementation for communication at all levels of the population
targeting specific actions in the other focus areas and achievement of objectives (Focus area 7).
PSIUI was followed up by PSIU II in 2008 (Ministry of Equipment and Transport, 2006) which
covered the period 2008-2010. PSIUII reported the progress with regards to PSIUI