Stringent laws are required to deal
with violators of traffic rules and regulations to improve road safety in the ESCWA
region, said experts and delegates attending a meeting of the regional commission
on “Financing Transport Infrastructure and Road Safety in the ESCWA region,”
held earlier this month in Bahrain. Delegates called on ESCWA member countries that
have not yet joined the Integrated Transport System in the
Arab Mashreq (ITSAM) to do so in order to achieve regional integration.

Co-organized with the Bahrain Ministry of Transportation,
the meeting sought to inform member countries of what has been implemented in
transport infrastructure projects through partnerships with the public and
private financial sector in developed countries and in ESCWA member states. It
also aimed at encouraging financial institutions and development funds to
finance and invest in transport infrastructure projects.

Participants also raised the main issue of road safety,
which they highlighted through discussions on required steps in the next 10
years to improve that safety, implementation of the 2009 Moscow Declaration,
and the most suitable action plans to achieve road safety in the region.

The meeting was an opportunity to exchange ideas, said the
participants, who considered it a platform enabling the entire region to create
an environment to work towards solving the region’s infrastructure and road
safety problems. The participation of financing actors like Kuwait Fund for
Arab Economic Development and the Islamic Development Bank enriched the event
by highlighting the obstacles faced in funding mega projects and recommendations
to crack those obstacles, according to local Bahraini press reports.

Among participants were the Global Road Safety Partnership
(GRSP), the World Bank, the Arab Union for Forwarders and Logistics, Bahrain University,
Emirates Driving Company, Citigroup and some local Bahraini companies.

At the end of the meeting,
participants called on public and private sectors in member countries to move
ahead in their partnerships in order to begin implementing provisions in
international transport agreements, namely those involving infrastructure.
Regional development banks and funds were asked to lend their support to ensure
sufficient financial resources required to complete regional transport projects
in the coming 10 years.