Delivering Road Safety in India : Leadership Priorities and Initiatives to 2030

High road crash fatality and injury rates on Sri Lanka’s roads are undermining the economic growth and progress made over the past decade on reducing poverty and boosting prosperity. Sri Lanka has the worst road fatality rate among its immediate neighbors in the South Asia region. A recent World Bank Group (WBG) study of road safety investment in South Asia revealed a crisis that has been exacerbated by the rapid growth in vehicle ownership and diversity of motorized and nonmotorized traffic of varying sizes and speeds, without adequate protection for the most vulnerable. Improving road safety in Sri Lanka is vital to national health, well-being, and economic growth. Robust vehicle and driver licensing systems will need to be established and accessible by law enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities before the full power of safety compliance regimes can be exercised. Infrastructure safety design skills and tools will require strengthening to ensure the protection of all road users. Road safety initiatives must be inclusive of all road users and roadside communities and places, especially of those users that are most vulnerable and least protected in their road environments. Positive signs of government action are emerging with the national transport safety commission act under consideration. This act has provisions for the establishment of a national transport safety commission and a related fund to ensure adequate resourcing of the actions and their monitoring and evaluation. If delivered with urgency and strong leadership, these actions may pave the way for sustained road safety success in Sri Lanka.