Advancing Safer and More Inclusive Road Design in North and West Africa

May 20 / IRF Academy
19 - 20 May 2026 | Rabat, Morocco - The International Road Federation (IRF) concluded a productive week in Rabat as part of the capacity building activities under the Safe and Inclusive Road Design in North and West Africa project.

Led by IRF Project Manager Paul Karst, the training brought together road safety practitioners and technical experts to strengthen regional capacity on Safe System-based road design, the protection of vulnerable road users, and practical tools that support safer infrastructure outcomes.

The Rabat session builds on earlier trainings delivered in Dakar, Senegal and Nouakchott, Mauritania, reinforcing a regional effort to improve road safety through stronger technical expertise and knowledge exchange. Participants explored approaches to embedding safer and more inclusive road design principles into transport planning, with particular attention to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, older persons and other vulnerable road users.
Funded by the UN Road Safety Fund and implemented by the International Road Federation and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the Safe and Inclusive Road Design in North and West Africa project is being delivered in partnership with the Government of Mauritania, Morocco’s National Road Safety Agency and Senegal’s National Agency for Road Safety. The initiative aims to improve road safety in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal by modernising outdated road design standards and strengthening protections for vulnerable road users.

Building on earlier initiatives, including road safety programmes in Tanzania and the EU-supported SaferAfrica project, the effort promotes regional collaboration to harmonise safety approaches across countries influenced by French road design standards, particularly along strategic corridors such as the Trans-African Highways. 

Alongside technical training for engineers, policymakers and road safety auditors, the project seeks to establish a sustainable framework for continuously updating standards, helping ensure safer and more inclusive infrastructure remains a long-term priority across North and West Africa.

Through continued technical cooperation and regional knowledge exchange, IRF continues to support national stakeholders in advancing safer, more resilient and inclusive road networks across the region.
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