The Ministry of Equipment, in partnership with SCET-TUNISIE and Ksentini for Road Safety (KSR) are undertaking an iRAP assessment and audit of road safety on the economic corridors RN15 and RN16 between the Algerian border and the Port of Gabes in Tunisia.

The project involves KSR undertaking a 400km iRAP Star Rating assessment for SCET-TUNISIE and preparing a Safer Roads Investment Plan to inform strategic investment in safety countermeasures to reduce road crash risk. KSR will also audit the proposed design to ensure it complies with the highest safety standards.

Ahmed Ksentini, CEO of KSR said, “Road safety is a major concern for us, and we are proud to contribute to improving safety on these major road network axes in partnership with the Ministry and SCET-TUNISIE. We are looking forward to starting this mission and working closely with all stakeholders involved in this project.”

The project follows KSR’s work earlier this year to undertake a road safety audit following the completion of works on the Gabès Médenine motorway in southern Tunisia. The 85 km section was completed during the first quarter of 2023. The audit was carried out for partner STUDI Consulting Engineers, a technical assistance mission with the company Tunisie Autoroutes.

A survey of the attributes of the highway was completed according to the technical specifications of the iRAP Methodology. The channel was recorded using a GoPRO camera (1K resolution at 24fps). The Mapillary application was deployed to register the platform and provide object recognition and a LiDAR survey was implemented for the retaining devices and their connection.

Images credit: KSR

According to iRAP’s Safety Insights Explorer, achieving UN Target 4 for greater than 75% of travel on 3-star or better roads for all road users in Tunisia by 2030 stands to save an estimated 193,228 lives and serious injuries over the 20-year life of road treatments with an economic benefit of USD$8.6 billion – $22.8 for every $1 spent.