Cape Town is strengthening road safety through a new global partnership bringing international expertise, dedicated specialists and evidence-based interventions into the City’s transport network.
The City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate has joined the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), connecting Cape Town to a network of more than 30 cities working to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
The four-year partnership will provide technical assistance and training from international road-safety organisations, alongside four full-time professionals who will be based at the City.
The additional capacity will support the implementation of Cape Town’s recently approved Road Safety Strategy, with projects managed by the Urban Mobility Directorate in partnership with Traffic Services.
Interventions will focus on practical changes including safer pedestrian crossings, traffic-calming measures, improved road safety around schools, safer walking and cycling environments, public awareness campaigns and targeted enforcement in high-risk locations.
“The launch of this exciting partnership is perfectly timed as our transport planning teams embark on the implementation of the City’s recently approved Road Safety Strategy,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.
He said the strategy places particular emphasis on pedestrians, non-motorised transport users, passengers, scholars and people using public transport.
The partnership will also strengthen the use of data to identify where interventions and resources can have the greatest impact.
BIGRS Director of Injury Prevention Kelly Larson said the initiative works with cities to implement measures proven to improve road safety, with a particular focus on data collection and surveillance, road-user behaviour and infrastructure.
“We are certain that Cape Town will achieve great success in their efforts over the next few years and plan to support the team with the experience and resources we have to offer,” Larson said.
For Cape Town, the partnership provides an opportunity to draw on road-safety approaches already implemented internationally while adapting appropriate solutions for local communities.
“In a few years’ time, we want to see a stronger road safety culture here in Cape Town with fewer serious injuries and lives lost to accidents that were in fact preventable on many occasions,” Quintas said.
The City said progress resulting from the partnership will be tracked to ensure interventions and resources are directed towards communities and locations where the need is greatest.
