Politicians make the policy. But it’s often left to business to implement it. For this reason RioPlus Business is featuring submissions from the private sector across the globe in the lead up to Rio+20.
The planet’s roads are becoming increasingly congested. This affects our health, the economy and the environment. In this article, Saul Billingsley, Director of the Road Safety Fund, explains how the ‘Share the Road’ initiative will drive an agenda at Rio+20 to make getting around safer, easier and cleaner if you’re on two legs, two wheels or in a car.
By Saul Billingsley
One of the most immediate challenges is the rise in global road traffic deaths and injuries. Together with the environmental concerns of rising emissions levels, this means that a safe and sustainable transport policy has become part of the Rio+20 agenda.
Worldwide, vehicle ownership is projected to double in the next decade, with the increase taking place entirely in developing countries. Yet the majority of people in these countries are unlikely ever to own a car. And it is exactly these people who are overwhelmingly affected by road traffic crashes and other consequences of road traffic, including poor air quality.
Designing safe transportation, urban planning and land use policies around the needs of local communities has to be a sustainable development priority and a pre-requisite for building the ‘green economy’ of the future.
When the UN issued its Resolution proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011-2020 it acknowledged the linkage between road safety and sustainable development. It [...]
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