Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities
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Although there are laws on speed, blood alcohol concentration for the general population, seat-belt
wearing (front) and helmet wearing (driver only), they are poorly enforced.
Unless addressed urgently, road traffic collisions will continue to increase to become one of the top
leading causes of death by 2030. The WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety ranked Egypt as a
country with one of the highest rates of mortality due to road traffic crashes. In response, WHO Egypt
is currently collaborating with national stakeholders for implementing the National Decade of Action
for Road Safety 2011-2020 and the Road Safety in 10 Countries (RS10) Project where Egypt is the only
country in the region to be included in the project.
The overall objective of the National Decade of Action for Road Safety in Egypt is the reduction of road
fatalities injuries and disabilities by 2020. The overall objective of RS10 in Egypt is to support the
Egyptian government to implement good practices to reduce deaths and injuries due to road traffic
collisions. The project funded by Bloomberg Philanthropists focuses on speeding, and seat-belt
wearing in both Greater Cairo “Ring Road”, and Alexandria Corniche and Gamal Abdel-Nasser Road.
Key achievements so far of the RS10 project are:
 Formation of multi-sectoral working group with high level coordination and collaboration,
and revitalizing the role of the National Road Safety Council as the national body for
coordination of road safety activities.
 Procurement and installation of 24 speed and left-lane cameras in the Ring Road. This is the
first time to install these cameras in the Middle East, with complete automation of the
violation from offence to court ruling.
 Building capacity with MOHP and WHO HQ HMN (Health Metrics Network) to develop injury
surveillance and vital registration systems and crash data reporting systems
 Conducted observational studies in Greater Cairo and Alexandria governorates on speed and
seatbelt
 Development of social marketing and communication strategies and currently developing
media campaigns.
Challenges include:
 Delays of implementation given country’s political situation, especially in enforcement of road
safety legislation.
 Frequent changes in leadership of main stakeholders particularly in the Ministry of Interior
and MOHP.
 Communication with partners, particularly consortium partners, attributed to lack of resident
representatives.
Activities to be implemented and future plans include:
 Revisions of existing road safety legislation are currently in progress and are led by National
Road Safety Council.
 Enhancing enforcement of road safety legislation through speed cameras.
 Implement a targeted, visible and monitored public awareness campaign.
 Engage NGOs to advocate for the priority legislation changes.
 Continue to improve injury and fatality data systems.
 Monitor and evaluate impact of interventions.
Lessons learnt include:
 The importance and value of engaging with multiple stakeholders.
 Addressing issues through collaborative and interactive measures.
 Establishing national ownership and responsibility for problems enhances sustainable
solutions.
 Perseverance for implementation despite difficult situations is vital