Road designers, planners and engineers in Azerbaijan receive EBRD Road Safety Engineering Training
On 26-27 May 2021, EASST and our local partners, the National Automobile Club of Azerbaijan (AMAK), facilitated the delivery of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Road Safety Engineering course for road designers, planners, and engineers in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Road designers, planners, engineers, investors and other relevant individuals have a huge role to play in reducing road casualties. They can influence the design of roads to make them safer, which includes EBRD funded road projects. The aim of the course was to raise awareness of this role and provide a better understanding to designers of road safety engineering principles that can be implemented while working within their own country’s technical road standards and norms.
Supported by the EBRD’s Special Shareholders Fund, the training included key elements of the EBRD’s Road Safety Engineering E-learning course with topics ranging from crash causation, intersection safety, accessibility and vulnerable road users, and climate resilience. It was carried out interactively, with question-and-answer sessions and discussion where participants could raise issues of specific concern locally.
The sessions had a wide reach with participants including representatives from the State Road Agency of Azerbaijan, State Road Police, Baku Transport Agency, State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, WHO office in Azerbaijan, SOCAR, Ministry of Transportation, Communications and High Technologies, Azerbaijan Technical University, ADA University, Azerbaijan University of Construction and Engineering, Absheron Jeyranbatan Vacational School, Lankaran City Mayor, Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, Baku State Education Center on Aviasion and Transport, Sumgayit City Mayor, Yasamal Municipality.
The training was well received with participants saying:
“Organisation of these webinars and trainings is practically vital and important for us. Because they help our experts to get to know international best practices and new approaches. I think it is very important to continue organisation of such trainings in the future.”
“With the help of these trainings, students have opportunities to enhance their knowledge on their specialty, learn new up-to-date knowledge and information in the field. Moreover, these trainings expand the source of references for us. We would want such trainings to be organised constantly.”
Following the training, AMAK also met with representatives of both the Baku Technical University and University of Architecture and Construction, who have agreed to include Azeri translated materials from the training sessions in their course curriculums – enabling many more road planning and engineering students to benefit from the training in years to come.
