The Saudi Ministry of Transport has announced plans to implement eight new road safety projects worth $206 million. The projects will be focused on improving the country’s road system, which is approximately 68,000 km.
According to the official statement, the projects will include the establishment of the National Road Safety Center, three traffic safety equipment projects, three “rumble strip” projects —to alert motorists to changing road conditions, and the implementation of recommendations from last year’s Engineering and Consultancy Services Agreement.
This agreement had identified a number of issues with the country’s road network, including accident black spots; reviewed the ministry’s traffic control centers; analyzed accident reports; and modernised the ministry’s safety department documentation and policies.
The road safety projects will be implemented in phases with the first phase being eight projects worth $206 million. Over the next three years, a further 15 projects will be implemented which will have a total cost of $384 million. The total cost of the 23 projects will be around $590 million and these projects will be part of the transport ministry’s contribution to the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
The initial projects will be aimed at reducing the number of accidents and causalities on the country’s roads. The later projects will include more safety facilities at animal crossings, improved intersections and junctions, better lighting at dangerous intersections and protective barriers for lamp-posts on certain roads. The press release also mentioned that on an estimate, traffic accidents cause material losses of $1.17 billion every year for the Kingdom.