Saving Lives: Using ICT to Serve Government – NGOs Partnership for

Road Safety

Presented by: Major. Khalifa Ali Al Zidi Traffic Systems Supervisor, DGIT

Royal Oman Police Sultanate of Oman May 2013 WSIS Forum 2013, Geneva

Sultanate of Oman Country Workshop

Introduction

The current situation

Royal Oman Police Efforts in Achieving Road Safety

Partnership with NGOs

Road safety challenges

Short ROP movie

Conclusion and recommendations

Contents

Sultanate of Oman

• AREA: 309,500 Sq. Km.

• POPULATION: 3.6 Mn (mid 2012)

• CAPITAL: Muscat

• ROADS: 60,000 Km

• DRIVING LICENSES: 1.2 Mn

• REGISTERED VEHICLES: 987 K

“We are please that the Sultanate of Oman, with other countries, has brought up the issue of road safety to the United Nation General assembly and played a major role in raising global awareness to the growing impact of deadly road traffic injuries, especially in the developing world”.

Speech of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the occasion of the proclamation of 2004 a special

year on road safety

Road Traffic Accidents in Oman

The Current Situation

Road Death

2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Mortality 1139 1056 820 953 951 798

Royal Oman Police Efforts in Achieving

Road Safety

Television, Radio, Social Networks , SMS Messages, ROP Website, Traffic Website Roadside Posters

More than half million books have been published. Also there were lots of conferences, lectures and traffic safety programs in all media.

Traffic Safety Day in Oman (18th October)

GCC Traffic Safety week in March

Traffic safety competition

Attitude Changing Programs Road Safety Campaign

Traffic Safety Institute

A specialized institute was established aiming at training and qualifying policemen and road users in the field of road safety.

Conducts training courses for traffic offenders.

Working closely with organizations related to traffic safety to enhance the role of traffic awareness.

Preparing researches and studies in the area of traffic and safety in the roads.

Children's Traffic School

Traffic school for children is a model for integrated traffic city streets, intersections, traffic lights, traffic signs and service facilities which simulates the traffic environment in reality.

Children are trained when it comes to traffic school theoretically and practically on the basis of rules and traffic regulations.

Convoy Traffic Awareness

The convoy consists of three large buses fitted with modern technology tools including tablets, computers and LCD screens.

It contains a computer room for browsing different awareness programs.

It has a lecture hall for awareness lecturing. The convoy visits all the provinces in Oman to raise awareness of traffic to all segments of society.

Ambulance Units

Ambulances are available in all provinces of the Sultanate.

Equipped with the latest technologies of emergency tools.

They are operated by trained and efficient rescue team.

The Mechanical Vehicles Check up Project

ROP applied the mechanical vehicles check up project since 2006.

It use a high technology test equipment in order to analyze the defects of vehicles.

This project has helped in reducing the incidence of accidents.

Controlling the Speed

The Radars/Cameras Project

To control the high speed, more than 1000 Radars has been fixed in the Sultanate’s roads equipped with the latest technologies.

Controlling the Traffic Signal

The Traffic Signal Camera Project

To control the crossing of red signals, more than 250 Cameras have been fixed on the road intersections.

Traffic Offences

A traffic ticket is a notice issued by the law enforcement officials to a driver or vehicle owner, who commit road traffic violation.

A traffic ticket constitutes paying a penalty and deduction of points scale ending at temporary cancelling a driving license.

Women Police

ROP has significant number of women cadres who serve in logistical, support wings as well as in the Traffic police.

ROP website as well as the website of the Directorate General of Traffic offers a lot of services for road users.

ROP site providing road users with a fast, easy, convenient and secure online facility to view and pay traffic fines online.

Traffic site offers everything related to the traffic field like awareness, answer the questions from the audience, monitoring of traffic accidents on a daily basis, and display the traffic law.

ROP Website and Traffic Website www.rop.gov.om and www.traffic.gov.om

Cont--ROP Website and Traffic Website www.rop.gov.om and www.traffic.gov.om

ROP Mobile App:

Emergency call

Offences enquiry and payment

Nearby stations

ROP news

Visa application status

ROP Service info.

Cont--ROP Website and Traffic Website www.rop.gov.om and www.traffic.gov.om

Improving the Road Environment

ROP participated with other government entities on the planning and implementation of roads, updating roads construction manual in accordance with the international safety standards. Government has created many overhead bridges for vehicles and pedestrians and redesigned many roundabouts and intersections.

In all its efforts, ROP cooperates with stakeholders from government entities, citizens and residents and non-government organizations such as the Oman Road Safety Association (ORSA) and Safety First Company.

ORSA key activities include advocacy and awareness training, capacity building and supporting research in the field of road safety.

Safety First is an independent, not for profit, road safety organization.

Safety First exists with a vision to reduce the number of road accidents

and fatalities in Oman by 50%, by the year 2020,

Safety First focus its activities on using ICT mainly the online social media tools such as facebook, twitter, youtube and mobile technology.

Partnership with NGOs

Road Safety is not singular in concept for which there is a simple solution, there are many reasons : Apart from increase in population, vehicles and roads length. Road users attitude and behavior. Therefore we should look at a bigger picture to solve road safety issues.

Road Safety Challenges

Short ROP Movie

13/05/2013

Oman has young population of more than 50% .

Oman/ROP, with other Government entities, NGOs … ect are all working together to make our roads safe and save lives.

We are looking forward for World Telecom Information Society Day celebration to hear from ITU and other countries on using ICTs and improving road safety.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Thank you for your attention