Filenews 21 February 2021 - by Michalis Hatzivasilis
Serious deficits in the road behaviour of road users, but also in road safety levels, particularly in towns and villages, are found over time in Cyprus, which is why the new Strategic Plan for Road Safety for the next 10 years provides for a series of measures in this direction.
According to the findings of the road safety expert who prepared the strategic planning for 2021 – 2030 Giorgos Morfakis, there are also deficits in the safety levels of vehicles in circulation, since the vehicle fleet is quite outdated. It is further noted that despite the significant progress made, there is room for improvement in the effective response of the relevant services to road collisions. The new Strategic Plan provides for 158 actions including all levels of road safety, based on the approach of the safe system and the EU philosophy. This system will forgive the mistakes of drivers and the road network that will inevitably continue to exist.
-What is the philosophy of the new strategic plan 2021-2030 for the prevention of road accidents (road deaths and injuries) in Cyprus?
-The new strategic plan is based on the Safe System approach, which is the philosophy of the new European Union (EU) policy for the decade 2021-2030, as well as the approach adopted internationally. This is the road traffic system, which consists of road infrastructure, vehicles and road users. In summary, the 'Safe System' approach aims at a road traffic system that "forgives" the human mistakes of its users, which will inevitably occur and prevent them from ending in road collisions or limiting the consequences of collisions, so as not to cause deaths or serious injuries. This is achieved through the implementation of policies and the implementation of actions in the following five main pillars of the "Safe System":
• Effective road safety management
• Safe roads and mobility
• Safe vehicles
• Safe road users
• Effective response after road collision
-Where is the fact that the previous strategic plan 2012-2020 did not achieve the objective of reducing road traffic collisions (road deaths and injuries) by 50%?
- It should be noted that the target of the Strategic Plan 2012-2020 to reduce road injuries (light and severe) by 50%, had already been achieved by 2019 with a decrease of 61.8% compared to 2010 and the available data show that there has been a further decrease in 2020. However, as far as road deaths are concerned, the strategic plan's target is indeed not being achieved, since 48 deaths have been recorded so far in 2020, which is only a 20% decrease from 60 in 2010. It is noted that between 2013 and 2020 road deaths are increasing, with an average of around 50.
The reason for not meeting the road death target is, in my view, the fact that the planned actions have not been sufficiently implemented and, by extension, the policies envisaged have not been sufficiently implemented.
The summary of the implementation of the actions is as follows:
• 36% have been implemented or implemented
• 34% were implemented to some extent
• 5% are promoted
• 25% did not materialise
Also in my view, the main reasons for the limited implementation of the actions provided for in the Strategic Plan 2012-2020 were the following:
• Inadequate staffing of the Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works did not allow systematic monitoring/coordination with other government agencies for the detailed annual report of the implementation of the planned actions, nor the detailed planning of the actions of each subsequent year.
• The 2013 financial crisis led to shortages of necessary appropriations and staff.
In addition, I believe that the failure to try to reinstall the traffic light-stamping system has deprived the Police of the possibility of effective control of significant infringements which contribute to road deaths. I also believe that the delay in introducing the harshest penalties for traffic offences has deprived this State of this powerful deterrent.
-What actions are foreseen in the new Plan and how feasible can they be implemented, provided that the previous plan also provided for actions that were not implemented?
- The new Strategic Plan provides for 158 targeted actions, which fall within the following 8 areas:
• Legislation and policing (law enforcement)
• Training and examination of prospective drivers
• Public information and awareness and traffic education in schools
• Safer road infrastructure (roads and their equipment)
• Safer vehicles
• Response after road collision
• Road Safety Research
• Organizational structure for the safety management of the road traffic system
The actions envisaged are multifaceted and multidimensional, and aim, precisely, at the creation of a "Safe System" of road traffic, which "forgives" or even prevents road collisions.
I believe that there is now the prospect of successful implementation of most of the actions envisaged, for the following reasons:
• The Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport Communications and Works, which is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the actions, has been staffed with sufficient staff.
• There are serious indications that there is the necessary political will by the Government and the Parliament to implement drastic policies and actions, which may initially provoke reactions. Examples include the recent signing of the Convention on the Resettlement of a Photo-Spot system and the introduction of tougher penalties for traffic offences.
- Since the new Strategic Plan involves various agencies, how will it be ensured that all the actions envisaged are implemented?
- It is a fact that, in the implementation of the policies and actions of the Strategic Plan, a large number of government agencies are involved, but also all local authorities, as well as the whole of civil society. For this reason, effective coordination, close monitoring and systematic evaluation and adaptation of policies and actions are needed. This role belongs operationally to the Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport and institutionally to the Road Safety Council, of which the Unit is the supporting body. As I have already mentioned, the Unit has been adequately staffed and able to perform its role adequately.
- Some of the actions result from EU recommendations for all countries and some are local. How are these two going to be combined?
- From the EU recommendations, those appropriate to the particular problems and challenges facing Cyprus have been selected. Therefore there is no issue in this regard.
- Since actions also demonstrate the compliance and cooperation of drivers, how will this be achieved?
- The cooperation and compliance of drivers, but also of other road users (passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) is sought by informing and raising awareness among the general public and by traffic education in schools, but also by law enforcement which is the strongest means of preventing road collisions. It is noted that the new Strategic Plan provides for 34 information, awareness and traffic education actions, and 34 actions in the field of Legislation and Policing.
-What is ultimately to blame and lives are lost on the streets of Cyprus and accidents are not reduced?
- As I have already said, there has been a serious reduction in road injuries, but not in road deaths, which remain around 50 per year, for the last 8 years.
The reason for the failure to reduce road deaths is, in my view, the fact that insufficient progress has been made in the creation of a 'Safe System' of road traffic. In particular, there are serious deficits in the road behaviour of road users, but also in road safety levels, especially in towns and villages. There are also deficits in vehicle safety levels in traffic, since the vehicle fleet is quite outdated. Finally, despite the considerable progress made, there is room for improvement in the effective response of the relevant services to road collisions.
EFFECTIVE CONTROL WITHOUT DECISIONS
-Do you think the advent of the photo-stamping system will help reduce road collisions?
- The reinstallation of the traffic light-stamping system will undoubtedly help to reduce road collisions and subsequent deaths and injuries. This has been demonstrated in practice by the spectacular results of the short operation of a small number of photo-stamping devices in 2006/2007, as well as the international experience.
In addition to combating the violation of the speed limit and the red light, as well as other self-evident infringements, the operation of the photo-marking system will create the public's perception that effective monitoring of compliance with road traffic rules is applied without discrimination and their violation has consequences. It has been shown, both from international experience and from Cypriot (photo-signaling in 2006-2007) that the consolidation of this concept acts as a particularly powerful means of preventing traffic offences.
Traffic education course in Lyceum
According to Mr. Morfakis, among the suggestions is the introduction of the course of traffic education in Lyceums and Technical Schools. Like:
• Promote international good practices in the field of road safety education ( Traffic Education).
• Provide information and support to parents and guardians on how to set a good example in driving. Increase the participation of parents and other adults in the transfer of Road Safety messages to children.
• Development of Road Safety Inspection Programmes to identify risks related to road environmental characteristics and implementation of corrective measures.
Motorcycles- ambulances within cities
An important recommendation for an immediate response to the care of the injured in the cities is the acquisition of two special motorcycles properly equipped as ambulances. In particular, a recommendation is made to the strategic plan as given:
• Equipment in the Ambulance Service with two properly equipped motorcycles in each of the major cities (Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos), in order to speed up the response to road collisions that occur in the city centre, where there is increased traffic, but also difficulty in passing the ambulance for immediate assistance.
• Continue the ongoing programme to upgrade ambulance staff as well as ensure the appropriate equipment according to international standards, so that each ambulance is staffed by a qualified nurse and paramedic and has adequate equipment.
• Continuous renewal of the ambulance fleet (8 new ambulances per year).
• Training of firefighters in new/modern vehicle de-trap techniques and continuation of the vehicle supply system for use in this training.
• Training of firefighters in new vehicle technology (electric, hybrid, LPG).
Average speed control system
Among the actions foreseen in the new Strategic Plan is the implementation of a system that will record the initial and top speed of a vehicle from one city to another and after calculating the transit time, it will be denounced if it passed in less than the estimated time. In particular, suggestions are made:
• Policing the speed limit on motorways with medium speed control photo-pointed systems.
• Review of the penalty points system, with the aim of improving its effectiveness.
• Establishment and implementation of a new Legislative Framework for Personal Mobility Devices (E-Scooters).
• Policing the speed limit and violations on traffic lights with photo-signalling systems (fixed & mobile devices).
• Integration of specialized cognitive subjects/subjects into the process of driver training and examination such as risk perception, approach to training and experienced driving by young people, the use of active safety systems, defensive driving, proper maintenance of the vehicle (e.g. tyres) etc.
• Upgrading the requirements for obtaining a driving licence through (A) the theoretical examination using a computer and (B) increasing the time and test points during the practical test.
• Continuation of the annual programme of targeted information/awareness campaigns on Road Safety, in parallel with law enforcement campaigns and inclusion of new issues, with emphasis on: (all serious infringements).
• Scientific planning and evaluation of awareness-raising activities, based on international best practices.
• Designation of citizens of social acceptance, young and older, as "Road Safety Ambassadors", who will act as role models and contribute to informing and raising public awareness.
• Identification of the points with the highest rates of road collisions with clockwise movements and implementation of improvement measures.
• Promote the development of 30km limit zones and the restriction of speed limits in residential areas and other areas with pedestrian and bicycle traffic loads, supported by traffic congestion measures.
• Strengthen and expand the institution of pavement construction along existing public roads (within the road) with an appropriate priority hierarchy by finding resources for the initial financing of such projects and establishing appropriate measures to effectively recover the cost of the project from all the owners present.
• Extension of the periodic technical check to all categories of two-wheel motor vehicles and other vehicles.
• Implementation of "old car withdrawal" plans for renewal of the vehicle fleet.
• Promote incentives/disincentives to ensure that vehicles registered for the first time have advanced safety features and specifications.
• Coordination of the award of a series of research and analysis studies to assess the performance of the measures of the Strategic Road Safety Plan implemented.
• Continuation and intensification of the operation of the two-member inter-agency committee for a thorough study of fatal road collisions and exploitation of findings in the design, evaluation and redesign of policies and actions.
