Results of a comprehensive iRAP assessment of 900km of Cambodia’s strategic road network, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), were shared last week in a strategic workshop attended by high-level transport stakeholders.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) is the primary stakeholder in this critical project, supported by iRAP and RoadKorea, which aims to enhance road safety and improve infrastructure across the country’s major routes.

The iRAP project has assessed the safety of National Road 1 (NR-1), which links Phnom Penh with the Vietnam border; National Road 4 (NR-4), connecting the capital to the Sihanoukville port on the west; and National Road 6 (NR-6), extending from Phnom Penh to Banteay Mean Chey near the Thailand border.

These roads are pivotal for Cambodia’s transportation and economic activities but incur high road crash fatality rates of 10.53 fatalities per 100 million vehicle-kilometres travelled. NR-4 incurs the highest rate of 14.36 fatalities per 100 million vehicle-kilometres.

This warrants implementing the road safety treatments as detailed in the iRAP Safety Investment Plan with urgency and has prompted the MPWT, particularly the Department of Road Safety and the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), to prioritize improvements.

Currently, approximately 60% of the road length offers a 3-star or better rating for vehicle occupants, 40% for motorcyclists, about 20% for bicyclists, and under 10% for pedestrians.

Investment Plan and Safety Treatments

A Safer Roads Investment Plan developed as part of the project has proposed an economic investment of over USD 66 million to prevent over 49,000 fatalities and serious injuries over a 20-year period. The plan promises substantial benefits, estimated to exceed ten times the investment.

Key recommendations include enforcing speed limits of 70 km/h on rural roads and 50 km/h in urban areas, and the implementation of safety countermeasures including improved road delineation, street lighting, pedestrian infrastructure like crossings and footpaths, traffic calming measures, motorcycle lanes, and central median barriers to mitigate head-on collisions.

Workshop and Training Outcomes

On August 23, iRAP Senior Road Safety Engineers Jigesh Bhavsar and Agustin Centino led a workshop to discuss the findings with MPWT and ADB transport specialists.

High-level officers in attendance included Her Excellency MIN Meanvy, Head of NRSC and Road Traffic Safety Department, Secretary of State MPWT, and His Excellency PHENG Sovicheano, Project Director – PMU3, Secretary of State MPWT. The ADB team included Yasushi Tanaka, Principal Transport Specialist; Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Senior Transport Specialist; Gengwen Zhao, Transport Specialist; and Elah Marie E. Abangan, Associate Project Officer.

The workshop concluded with MPWT and the Project Management Unit (PMU) keen to implement the recommended safety treatments and incorporate Star Rating targets in the project feasibility and design stages.

In addition to the workshop, iRAP and ADB delivered road safety training on August 22 to approximately 30 MPWT participants, including members from the Road Safety Department and PMU. The training focused on building practical skills in the use of iRAP’s Demonstrator tool and ViDA to generate Star Ratings.

Around 30 MPWT members are currently undergoing iRAP’s Star Rating Essential online training course.

Looking Forward

The collaboration between iRAP, ADB, and MPWT marks a significant step towards enhancing road safety in Cambodia.

With targeted investments and comprehensive safety measures, Cambodia aims to improve road safety and reduce fatalities on its critical road network.

Images credit: Jigesh Bhavsar and MPWT