The International Parliamentarians’ Congress (IPC) has given road safety and the role of Legislators a key priority. An article by: Mr M. Naeem Murtaza is the Chief Technical Advisor at the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC).

The construction of ‘good’, safe roads with reliable safe transport for citizens is acknowledged as one of the most pivotal contributors to the development of a country, leading to economic growth by stimulating trade and commerce, and benefiting societies in creating wealth, generating livelihoods in general, and assisting in alleviating poverty. Roads are the most common means of travel for people, be it market access, commuting for work in urban and rural areas, children going to school, transportation of goods, domestic tourism or simply families travelling, all require safety for people travelling from one point to another. This mass movement of people and goods has brought about a need to institutionalize traffic management systems, dedicated law enforcement, responsible and safer road users, safer road infrastructure design, mandatory safety features for vehicles and safer passenger public mobility, as well as significantly increasing the role of First Responders as a post-crash response.

The silent crisis on our roads
In 2008, the United Nations cited road traffic crashes as one of the greatest threats to human mortality, surpassing many epidemics and life-threatening diseases, and recognising this as the fourth leading cause of death for humanity. As such, the United Nations tasked itself with the noble cause of reducing death and injuries, leading to the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety (2011–2020), followed by the Global Action Plan on Road Safety (2021–2030).

Five Pillars of the UN Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011): The United Nations has identified and recognised five pillars as essential for addressing road traffic safety.

1. Road Safety Management
2. Safer Roads and Public Mobility
3. Safe Vehicles
4. Safer Road Users
5. Post-Crash Response

According to the United Nations, some 1.3 million people globally die in road traffic crashes every year with an estimated 20 to 50 million victims with varied injuries. Today, this represents the death of one person every 25 seconds somewhere in the world, attributed to weak or negligible road safety measures.

Pakistan and Road Safety
As a developing country, Pakistan’s safer infrastructure needs are critical, especially as construction on new roads and highways continues across the nation. The steady increase in a predominantly low-income population has raised the demand for two-wheel modes of transport like motorcycles. The number of cars, buses and trucks is constantly on the rise, while public transport access is still limited. As a result, deaths and injuries caused by road traffic crashes are on the increase.

People who sustain life-challenging injuries are, perhaps, the least acknowledged. Post-crash medical care by the State is limited and most certainly a debilitating financial strain on families of the victims. Once the traffic crash victim is home, the entire responsibility for caring for the victim falls on the families and if the injured victim is also the primary breadwinner, this constitutes another level of trauma.

Comprehensive data on road traffic crashes, and consequential mortality and injuries, is not readily available. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates an annual number of some 30,000 deaths by road car crashes in Pakistan, of which some 60% involve motorized two wheelers. Human error is a major cause, as well as reckless driving, poor road infrastructure, inadequate traffic law enforcement and a lack of public awareness, while vehicle maintenance in the public sector is an ongoing factor. The solutions are quite visibly available through global best practice. This demands that the key stakeholders take action and adapt the requisite laws.

Call to Action
With the increase in the number of vehicles, traffic volume on roads has grown exponentially. This has created multiple hazards for road users, leading to an untenable situation resulting in more road traffic crashes. Loss of life is the most tragic consequence. The injured victims of road traffic crashes become an economic liability for affected families. They can lose the personal income of the primary earner who may not be able to work or may require life-long care. This increases poverty levels in low and middle-income countries, furthering the drain on public health systems and burdening governments financially.

Prioritising Road Safety and the Role of Parliamentarians
In many under-developed countries and developing countries, like Pakistan, Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) are frequently under-recognised as a leading cause of mortality. The lack of comprehensive data, informal settlement between individuals involved, fewer insured vehicles on the roads and a general apathy all contribute to the lack of awareness on how many lives are lost and livelihoods ruined. Road safety is therefore a very important subject for Members of Parliament to discuss in order to pave the way to desired legislation that will allow Pakistan, as well other countries with similar situations, to motion and approve Parliamentary Bills, allowing the authorities to implement the requisite laws that can contribute to reducing injuries and mortalities on our respective roads.

IPC Road Safety Conference for Parliamentarians
Keeping in view the sensitivity of the subject, the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC) recognised the need for capacity building for effective legislative frameworks and took the initiative to organise the first such conference for Parliamentarians on Road Safety. This IPC initiative took place in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 2023.

In this respect, the IPC recognises the support for the conference through ‘Mustehkam Parlimaan’, an EU-funded project by GIZ, and the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS).

Spread over two days, the conference brought together some 100 Members of Parliament from the Federal Parliament and all Provinces of Pakistan, including their respective government stakeholders related to Road Safety, as well as 21 Members of Parliament from nine countries including Algeria, Azerbaijan, Chad, Guinea, Jordan, Libya, Spain, Portugal and Uganda.

The opening day’s session included a keynote address by the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Hon. Dr Arif Alvi; an inaugural address by the Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, Hon. Mr Mohammad Sadiq Sanjrani and opening remarks by the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Hon. Duarte Pacheco and the Secretary General of IPC, Senator Hon. Sitara Ayaz. Discussions focused on the Five Pillars of the UN Global Action Plan and bringing forward deliberations, culminating with the Islamabad Declaration. Delegates shared best practices on preventive measures taken to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to road traffic crashes. Two wheelers and pedestrians remained major victims of car crashes, with serious injuries leading to rising mortality rates, besides the sudden death traumas. Safe road infrastructure and safer vehicles were highlighted as often non-compliant. Delegates emphasised the importance of introducing legislation through Road Safety Bills and how this has helped their countries through effective law enforcement.

However, in some countries, there has been an increase in the numbers of vehicles with younger, irresponsible and untrained drivers, which are offsetting their achievements in road safety. Delegates also heard from experts that people who sustain life-challenging injuries are, perhaps, the least acknowledged. The importance of highly trained traffic police is vital to ensure effective enforcement of traffic rules and to ensure discipline and maintaining the flow of traffic on the roads. Training for all drivers on the roads is also important as untrained, under-age drivers are a major cause of car accidents on the roads.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed from the Senate of Pakistan stated that Parliamentarians must take the lead in helping to reduce road traffic accidents, citing them as a major cause of deaths. He said most crashes take place in developing countries and stressed the need for a ‘Save Lives Initiative’, calling for the establishment and maintenance of universal standards for drivers, vehicles, policing and first responders. The conference provided a platform for Parliamentarians, experts and key stakeholders to collaborate and share their insights on road safety.

The Islamabad Declaration: A Unanimous Call to Action
The conference ended with the IPC Secretary-General, Senator Hon. Sitara Ayaz, presenting the ‘Islamabad Declaration’, a unanimous document outlining key steps to improve road safety in Pakistan. This declaration served as a call to action for all stakeholders to address road safety issues collaboratively and it will guide future road safety initiatives, contributing to improved road safety in Pakistan and worldwide. The IPC also committed to ongoing efforts to promote road safety globally.

For further information about the work of the International Parliamentarians’ Congress (IPC), including on road safety, please visit www.ipcongress.org.