On the occasion of the opening of this year’s European Mobility Week, the European Commission and the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety co-organised a Road Safety Roundtable in Brussels. During this event, two commitments were handed over to the NGOs: One from the European Commission and the EU Member States, namely the target of halving the number of fatalities and serious injuries on European roads between 2020 and 2030, and one from European cities, a Declaration entitled “The New Paradigm for Safe City Streets” (https://www.polisnetwork.eu/roadsafety and http://eurocities.eu/eurocities/home#mobility). The Global Alliance is collecting commitments around the world in the run-up to the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Stockholm in February 2020.

Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said: “The Stockholm conference will be a crucial milestone in our fight for safer roads worldwide. I am pleased that we in the EU, with strong support from national governments, are able to lead the way. I invite all other regions worldwide to set ambitious targets and to follow them through with detailed monitoring, as we do. I am also grateful that we have been able to link this work with the fantastic, but often little recognised, work that many European cities do. I congratulate the first signatories of the city declaration and encourage all cities across Europe to follow their example.”

Lotte Brondum, Executive Director of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, said: “Every single life lost or injured on the roads is unacceptable. We congratulate the European Union and its Member States on their commitment today for a measurable target to halve the number of road deaths and injuries. Now it is the turn of national and local governments to translate this commitment into specific, tangible actions. NGOs across Europe are ready and equipped to help them so that every citizen comes home safely every day. We also welcome the New Paradigm for Safe City Streets that will make our urban roads safer and more liveable for everyone, especially the most vulnerable road users.”

On the occasion of the roundtable, Commissioner Bulc also announced an “Urban Road Safety Award” for cities, to be handed out next spring. More details can be found at http://mobilityweek.eu/Urban-Road-Safety-Award

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Source: European Commission