The creation of a Casualty Reduction Partnership between Chisinau and Tiraspol was discussed on 1st November 2012 at a conference organised by the Automobile Clubs of Moldova and Transnistria within the ‘Support to Confidence Building Measures’ Programme, funded by the European Union and co-funded and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in Moldova.
Road safety experts from EASST and the Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership shared their experience in creating local partnerships in the UK to reduce the number of car crashes. UNDP’s Resident Representative in Moldova, Nicola Harrington-Buhay, stated that the timeliness of the workshop was highly relevant given the United Nation’s decision to proclaim the period 2011-2020 as a Decade of Action for Road Safety with the aim of reducing road deaths by 50% during its span.
British Ambassador to Moldova Keith Shannon opens the conference
At the event Serghei Diaconu (pictured below), Head of Moldova’s Road Police Department, stated: “Each life lost on the roads of Moldova costs the national economy about 511 000 USD. 41.8% of the total number of car accidents in Moldova take place in Chisinau, in which hundreds of lives are lost. That is why it is very important that all authorities responsible for road safety and civil society join efforts to find solutions”.
The conference was held as part of a series of activities carried out by the project ‘Development of Partnerships to Reduce the Number of Road Accidents in Chisinau and Tiraspol’, implemented by Automobile Clubs of Moldova and Transnistrian region in partnership with EASST. The project will produce analyses and reports on road safety, will develop strategies for creating partnerships in Tiraspol and Chisinau, and will undertake practical activities on road safety and social information campaigns.
Serghei Diaconu, Head of Moldova’s Road Police Department, supports the project
Representatives of the road police department, municipal transport unit and non-governmental organizations from both banks of the Nistru river agreed upon a common vision on undertaking similar initiatives in Chisinau and Tiraspol. Hubert Duhot, Project Manager of the EU Delegation to Moldova, said: “We hope that this project will bring together authorities from both banks of Nistru river to increase awareness about the road safety measures which will ultimately reduce the number of road accidents and save people’s lives”.
On 2nd November, the UK experts visited the Chisinau Rescue Service and Road Police Department to view the equipment used in Moldova since post-crash response is vital in saving lives yet the service is still neglected in Moldova. In addition a working meeting was held at the Moldova World Bank Office attended by the ACM, ACT and UK experts who discussed the creation of the Casualty Reduction Partnerships with World Bank representatives.
On 8th November 2012, the project continues with EASST experts from Armenia and Ukraine participating in a roundtable to share their experience with Moldovan and Transnistrian local experts, who will work together in identifying solutions and work out a plan of activities.
The ground-breaking project received plenty of media attention:
http://ukinmoldova.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=831038982
http://www.undp.md/presscentre/2012/CBM_1November/index.shtml
