In early February 2012 EASST Director Emma MacLennan attended a series of meetings in the Moldovan capital Chisinau organized by EASST partner the Automobile Club of Moldova (ACM).
On 2nd February, Emma and a team of leading experts in road safety enforcement met with Minister Roibu (Ministry of the Interior) to discuss the potential development of a national enforcement system based upon a new network of speed cameras. The aim is to create a sustainable, self-funding model to achieve ongoing casualty reduction in Moldova along with improvements in policing standards, integrity and equipment. The new system would be introduced first in Chisinau, growing to include the whole of Moldova.
The proposal has developed as a result of the three-country exchange organized by EASST and its partners in Georgia and Moldova. EASST’s report, sponsored by the World Bank, outlined the critical need for better police resources, training and equipment in Moldova in order to improve enforcement and reduce opportunities for corruption in road policing. To review EASST’s report in full click here.
Although the number of road accidents in Moldova decreased in 2011, there were still 2,825 crashes registered, resulting in the deaths of 433 people. It is hoped that with an efficient surveillance system in place, police can more effectively monitor and penalize speeding and other offences, and that emergency service response to crashes can be better coordinated.
The British Ambassador to Moldova, HE Keith Shannon, was present at the meeting along with Trevor Hall, Managing Director of Road Safety Support, Neil Brailsford, Business Development Director of Capita Symonds, and Adam Briggs, former TISPOL President and Director of Northern Cell.
Minister Roibu said he welcomed the visit which took place in the context of setting up new priorities of cooperation for 2012 with the British diplomatic mission. The Interior Minister was keen to remind guests that 2011 was an auspicious year for the Ministry of Interior, including collaboration with the British authorities on strengthening the capacity of Ministry employees and in instigating constructive dialogue on road safety. He expressed his gratitude for the EASST report and the opportunity it presented to share experience of road policing in the UK and Georgia. He mentioned too the attendance of senior Moldovan police at TISPOL’s annual road safety conference in Manchester in September 2011 – enabled by Road Safety Support and EASST.
The meeting concluded with an agreement among participants to develop this project in partnership with the Ministry and road police.
