In late January the presence of Romain Schneider, Luxembourg's Minister of Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, and Mr. Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo, Minister of Infrastructure, Land Transport and Disengagement (MITTD) of Senegal, LuxMobility and the MITTD have signed a Memorandum of Understanding under the SAVE LIVE project.
Main objective of SAVE LIVE project (Saving lives on West African roads)
The main objective of the SAVE LIVE project, co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg via the Business Partnership Facility, is the implementation in Senegal of software that will enable competent authorities to collect data on road accidents and to apply targeted measures. A first implementation of SAVE LIVE is planned in the Republic of Senegal, a member of the Organisation for Road Safety in West Africa (OSRAO). In the long term, SAVE LIVE should allow the OSRAO Member States to have access to a more effective application of their road safety action plans, monitor progress in their implementation and evaluate their results.
Road Safety in Africa
In Africa, the mortality rate due to road accidents is on average 24/100,000 inhabitants; one of the highest in the world, which equates to a loss of between 1% and 5% of the GNP of the countries concerned. Traffic accidents are a major development and public health challenge. In African countries, traffic accidents mainly affect young people aged 15 to 29 years. The overall goal for road safety for Africa is to halve the number of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2020. In Senegal, it is in particular these contextual elements that pushed President Macky Sall to elevate the reinforcement of road safety to the rank of a presidential priority.
SAVE LIVE Senegal
As a result of the interest of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Land Transport and Accessibility (MITTD) of Senegal in the project, the Road Transport Directorate of MITTD and the Luxembourg company LuxMobility have begun joint work to define the modalities that would make Senegal as pilot country for the implementation of the SAVE LIVE initiative.
The aim of the project will be to reduce road mortality in Senegal by introducing a system for collecting and processing data related to road accidents through the use of Save LIVE software, which will be adapted to the local context. Based on this data, Senegal will be able to develop strategies based on observations and adapted to real needs. The registration of places and types of accidents will enable the Senegalese State to improve the national policy for the reduction of road accidents. The project will create jobs and is in line with the Goal for Sustainable Development 3, one of whose goals is to halve the number of deaths and injuries per road accident.
LuxMobility will work in consortium with VIA, a company specialising in road safety. The main partners of this three-year project will be the Senegalese Ministry of Infrastructure, Land Transport and Disenclavement (MITTD) mainly, as well as the Organisation for Road Safety in West Africa (OSRAO).
Business Partnership Facility - Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (MAEE)
For a number of years, the private sector has been recognised as a key player and partner in achieving the development goals, particularly in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this logic of further support to the private sector in Southern countries, the Department of Cooperation and Humanitarian Action of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE) launched, on 18 April 2016, the Business Partnership Facility (GMP).
The objective of the Business Partnership Facility is to encourage the private sector in Luxembourg and Europe to partner with organisations - public or private - active in the South to implement sustainable projects. The sectors eligible for co-financing are Biohealth, Information and Communication Technologies, Fintech, Eco-innovation / Circular Economy and Logistics. With a budget of €1 million per year, it targets the partner countries of the Luxembourg Cooperation as a priority, including Senegal.
The method of obtaining co-financing provided for by the Business Partnership Facility is based on a call for projects launched annually and administered in two stages. The projects selected at the end of the process will be co-financed up to a maximum of 50% with a ceiling of €200,000 (€131 million) in the form of a non-refundable direct grant.
