Road crashes are estimated to kill 3,609 people each year in Senegal (WHO 2018) and they are the leading cause of death for children and young people between 15 and 29 years of age. The Government of Senegal is committed to the Road Safety Global Plan and UN resolutions on road safety. For the period of 2011-2020, Senegal has established a National Road Safety Plan with the overall objective of reducing by 35% Fatalities and heavy injuries. This Plan provides a good example of the challenges that Senegal is facing in organizing, planning, implementing and evaluating progress in road safety. The first decade of action road safety plan was very partially implemented by stakeholders and could not achieve its targets. The main reasons for this situation were lack of coordination among various implementing agencies, lack of technical skills within the area of safer roads, absence of dedicated management agency to coordinate actions and lack of dedicated funding.

In 2020, the Government of Senegal has made a significant Political Step in establishing the new Infrastructure and transport Policy by establishing a Transport Development Fund (FDT) and a National Road Safety Agency (ANASER. In the same time, Senegal is investing in major road infrastructures projects as part of its 2030 vision for emerging Senegal. These projects are supported by the World Bank, but also by The European Commission and The European Investment Bank.

The Newly created National Road Safety Agency, ANASER, has formally started its activities in 2022. The ANASER is in charge of establishing and implementing the National Road Safety Plan for 2021-2030. ANASER is typically at the stage of a newly established agency facing important skills challenges in order to fulfill its mandate.

The Ten Step Plan for Road Safety in Senegal comes at the right time for the ANASER to strengthen its capacity, acquire skills and tools aiming at supporting the Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan.

The first phase of the project (“Gap Analysis”) will focus on establishing synergies with ongoing initiatives, gather all required information and establish a strong coordination and communication plan.

The second phase of the project (“National Standards and Training”) will focus on capacity building, training and on providing key recommendations, tools and Performance indicators to support National Strategy and cost-effective investment Plans.

The last phase of the project (“Infrastructure safety management”) will provide long term assets with a locally owned RAP programme to support UN Targets 3 and 4 on Safer roads.

The expected impact of the project on road safety within Senegal is focused on supporting ongoing efforts of the country on National Road Safety Plan, safer infrastructures, and maximize synergies with all partners to include internationally recognized road safety practices such as safe system approach and road safety audits together with internationally recognized safety features such as safe design speeds/speed.