Safer to School Guidelines to Enhance Road Safety Around Educational Institutions in Albania

TIRANA – The Transport Community Permanent Secretariat, in partnership with Slovenian authorities, promoted and highlighted the importance of implementing Safer to School guidelines. An event organised this Thursday in Tirana addressed the issue of road safety around educational institutions.

Safer to School guidelines offer ready-to-implement measures aimed at increasing road safety for children around schools. Originating from the Slovenian Infrastructure Agency and currently being successfully implemented in Slovenia, these guidelines serve as an inspiration for enhancing road safety in the Western Balkans.

Transport Community’s Permanent Secretariat Director, Mr Matej Zakonjšek, invited the stakeholders to join efforts in implementing comprehensive measures and guidelines to enhance the safety of our school zones.

“Improving road safety in the Western Balkans, particularly in school zones, is imperative to safeguarding the lives of children and fostering a secure environment for their daily commute. It is time for joint efforts and immediate action to implement measures that put safety in focus and prevent tragic accidents,” he pointed out.

“Albania has experienced a speedy development and changes in the last years, including those in infrastructure and traffic. A lot has been invested in road safety, however there is always room for improvement. I am convinced that implementation of the Safer to School guidelines would be very useful and helpful in increasing the safety of children in traffic,” Ambassador of Slovenia to Albania, H.E. Mr Peter Japelj underlined.

The Western Balkans, with an average of 73 fatalities in road crashes per million inhabitants in 2023, starkly contrasts the EU average of 46 fatalities per million inhabitants. This statistic underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to bridge this gap and save lives on the region’s roads.

Across the region, the number of fatalities and seriously injured children in road traffic crashes is worrisome, showing the risks faced by the youngest and most vulnerable road users.

These numbers underscore the pressing need for action to prevent further tragedies and ensure the safety of our children on the roads, including on their journey to and from school.

The Transport Community, in collaboration with Slovenian authorities, stands ready to support Western Balkan authorities in implementing the Safer to School guidelines. By adapting best practices from the EU to local needs, we aim to significantly improve traffic safety around educational institutions, thereby safeguarding the lives of children in school zones.

The Transport Community is also committed to partnering with various authorities and civil society to enhance transport across the Western Balkans. By implementing EU standards and best practices, we strive to create safer roads and a brighter future for all.

The Tirana event gathered representatives of the Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, Ministry of Interior, Tirana Municipality, European Union Delegation to Albania, Slovenian Embassy, Slovenian Infrastructure Agency, Transport Community, and other stakeholders.

BACKGROUND

The Transport Community is an international organisation in the field of mobility and transport. It has 36 participants – the European Union member states represented by the European Commission, the Western Balkans six, and the three observing participants (Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine).  We are working on integrating Western Balkans’ transport markets into the EU by assisting the six Western Balkans partners in adopting and implementing the EU legislation in the transport field and supporting projects connecting Western Balkans regional partners among themselves and with the EU.

Focusing on improving transport across the region, the Transport Community also focuses on the road safety. With its Action Plan for Road Safety, the Transport Community aims to create a safer road environment that protects all road users and significantly reduces the number of road traffic injuries and fatalities across the region. Access the Action Plan here. Furthermore, with its Western Balkans Road Safety Observatory (WBRSO), Transport Community has set in place a platform aiming to offer a tailored solution, monitor road safety targets, and contribute to improvement and harmonised road safety data in the region.

/Argumentum.al