Hadi Mohamed Al Hajri, Brigadier Muhammed Abdullah Al Malki and Mohammed Ali Al Meraiziq during a press conference at the Administrative Annexe yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin/The Peninsula
DOHA: Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani will unveil the action plan for the second phase of National Traffic Safety Strategy (2018-2022) today at the InterContinental Hotel.
The plan aims to reduce traffic accident related mortality by 50 percent, reduction of deaths to 130 and cut in the number of severe injuries to 400 by 2022.
Giving details about the second phase yesterday at a press conference, Brigadier Muhammad Abdullah Al Malki, Secretary of National Traffic Safety Committee said the action plan also includes building road and transport networks, lower traffic congestion by 5 percent annually and implementation of the UN sustainable development goals related to sustainable cities.
The plan aims at reducing pedestrian mortality rate to 17 percent of total deaths by 2022 (32 percent in 2016), supporting the economy and national security by reducing the losses of GDP resulting from traffic accidents and congestion; and the establishment of a new electronic follow-up website to promote participation of all stakeholders.
The implementation of the second action plan has been assigned to more than 32 entities compared to 13 in the first phase and the number of plans have increased to over 400 plans compared to 198 plans in the first phase.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the fifth forum of the concerned authorities for the implementation of the strategy in the presence of ministers and traffic officials from Kuwait, Oman and a number of experts from public and private sectors.
Brigadier Al Malki pointed out that the second phase of the strategy was prepared with efforts of all concerned bodies to place Qatar in the category of developed countries.
He added that the action plan for the second phase provides an effective and unique roadmap to reduce the number of traffic accidents and address the consequences of human suffering resulting from these accidents and to implement the United Nations goals for sustainable development for the period 2015-2030 as well as achieve the ambitious goals set out in the National Strategy for Traffic Safety and Vision Qatar 2030.
He also said that the Committee has enhanced the involvement authorities and modified its organisational structure including the Minister of Transport and Communications and appointing him as senior vice chairman of the Committee considering the role played by the Ministry in the transport sector.
The plan also aims to strengthen the connection between the sea, air and ground transport for the construction of an integrated transport system, develop traffic safety in school areas, and construct bridges and pedestrian crossings and bicycle paths.
It aims support the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, adopt a system of non-traditional urban planning, and the preparation of the emergency plan for the management of related parts of the transport, among others.
Regarding achievements in the first phase, he said that one of the most important results achieved by the first phase is the success in reducing the number of deaths from 235 deaths, (14 deaths per 100,000 people) in 2013 to 178 deaths (6.93 deaths per 100,000 people) in 2016. This placed Qatar in the group of international countries with a distinguished position in traffic safety.
