Experts push for safer roads through structural change

Creating safer and more sustainable mobility across Africa will require greater attention to the needs of pedestrians, stronger community involvement in infrastructure planning, and more effective enforcement of traffic regulations, according to experts and stakeholders.

Speaking during a media roundtable at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, participants highlighted the importance of designing roads that accommodate all users — including pedestrians and cyclists — while ensuring that communities are consulted in decisions, such as the placement and construction of footbridges.

They noted that many practical solutions to improve road safety and mobility have already been identified through conferences, forums, and policy discussions over the years. The focus now, they said, should be on turning those recommendations into tangible actions that can help reduce accidents, save lives, and make transport systems more inclusive and accessible for all.

Josephine Naisula, member of parliament for Kenya's Samburu West constituency, said that many African cities have been designed primarily for vehicles, often at the expense of pedestrians.

"We must confront a difficult and uncomfortable truth that infrastructure inequality often mirrors societal inequality," Naisula said. "Those most exposed to dangerous roads are often those with the fewest alternatives."

Naisula noted that those most affected include workers who walk long distances before dawn, women navigating unsafe and poorly lit public spaces, and persons with disabilities forced to contend with inaccessible infrastructure.

Mark Ojal, an urban mobility and disaster resilience expert at UN-Habitat, said road safety should be integrated into development planning and decision-making processes.

"Road safety has an ecosystem," Ojal said, calling for a more holistic approach to urban planning and mobility. "For accidents to occur, there is a whole value chain that we need to look into."

Maarten Fonteijn, country manager for eBee, a pan-African e-mobility company, advocated for the development of safe corridors and dedicated cycling lanes to encourage cycling, which he described as one of the safest and most resource-efficient modes of transport.

"Cities should be people-centered, not vehicle-centered," Fonteijn said. "There is a need to create spaces where people can move around freely, and that starts with people feeling safe."

Constant Cap, a program management assistant in the Sustainable Mobility Unit at the UN Environment Programme, said walking and cycling remain the primary means of mobility for nearly one billion people across Africa each day.

He emphasized that while regulations and policies are important, their effectiveness depends on implementation.

"We can have very nice rules and regulations, but if we are not able to implement them, then it may be difficult to achieve meaningful change," he said.