“Safe and Smooth Road” National Program

“Safe and Smooth Road” 2022-2026 National Program is approved by the Decree No. PP-316 dated July 12, 2022, to provide for implementation of the Edict of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. UP-27 “On measures towards approval and implementation of the Public Safety Concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan” dated 29 November, 2021, for further improvement of the traffic management system, road infrastructure and for benign environment for all road users.

The Program, first and foremost, aims to “drastic decrease in traffic accidents and fatalities through improvement of the road infrastructure and establishment of the safe traffic conditions including total digitalization of the traffic management system and provision for extensive public participation in this field”.

The need for higher traffic safety has gained even more urgency and magnitude with traffic accident growth: traffic accident fatalities and injuries saw increase by 24% and 40% in 2021 accordingly. Deplorable traffic accident statistics stimulated cause investigations and implementation of the relevant mitigations.

As of today, the root causes of the traffic accidents are the speed infringements and poor traffic management. “Safe and Smooth Road” National Program includes certain actions, dedicated to Karakalpakstan, the regions and Tashkent, to ease the actual traffic situation through infrastructure improvements, digitalization of the traffic management system, development and digitalization of the mass transport, traffic safety public awareness including Traffic Code school lessons, perfection of the driver training system and increase of control over the vehicle upkeep operations.

The actions above include replacement and installation of the new road signs and markers, lighting facilities, surface marking, pavement renovation, speed cameras, traffic lights integration into the central traffic management system, establishment of a traffic monitoring center, on-line digital monitors for the transport stops etc.