1 ARMENIA TRANSPORT PROJECT

IDA Credit No. 3375 to the Republic of Armenia Consulting Services for Road Safety Improvement (Technical Assistance) Terms of Reference 1. Introduction 1.1 The Government of Armenia has received an IDA credit from the World Bank for a Transport Project. The project includes a Road Safety component to implement an initial three-year Road Safety Program to develop institutions and improvement of some hazardous road sections and spots where traffic accidents have been common. This describes the consultant support to the SSCC Armenian Roads (AR) and other Government agencies in implementing the three year Road Safety Program and to supervise the civil works for eliminating hazardous road sections. 1.2 The road safety situation in Armenia is poor by international standards. However, the statistics shows that the number of traffic accidents has reduced during the last several years due to decrease of traffic volumes. A sharp increase of accidents can be expected when traffic increases as the economic situation improves unless action is taken to improve road traffic safety. 1.3 Reestablishment of a National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is planned but there has been little progress since 1996. During last years some efforts were made to restore NRSC. However, due to the lack of necessary funding, it cannot be realized under the present economic situation in Armenia. 1.4 In 1996, Ross Silcock, UK, undertook a comprehensive road safety study and proposed in 2000, a three-year road safety program and detailed designs for five road sections where accident preventive measures shall be provided. The full 1996-study report and the three-year safety program are available from Client and will be provided to the selected Consultant for implementation. An abridged report is given in Annex 1 of this TOR 2. The objectives of the consultant services 2.1 The overall objective is to implement the three-year road safety program, for which funds have been provided through the IDA Credit. The program includes Technical Services, Equipment and Civil Works. Technical services include assistance to the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) and other government agencies, in particular for: (i) the establishment of a NRSC (for which a permanent Secretariat has been established at AR); (ii) further development of the Accident Data System (MAAP), previously installed; (iii) safety engineering, such as standards review, safety audit, road signs and markings and their materials, and safety engineering training. All road sections rehabilitated under the project shall be subject to road safety audit, and the capacity has to be developed in Armenia to carry out such audits; (iv) traffic legislation review and support to enforcement, including acquisition of alcometers, speed survey equipment etc; (v) education and publicity material, including a review of national curricula to provide better safety education in the schools and teacher training; (vi) vehicle inspection, including assistance in the layout of vehicle inspection stations, acquisition of equipment, and review of inspection procedures, (vii) research organizations to develop a research program, including accident costing, and (viii) a program to eliminate hazardous road or street sections identified through the accident reporting system (the program is not limited to roads under the Ministry of Transport and Communications but includes all streets and roads in Armenia) to achieve maximum results from the road safety investments. 2.2 The consultant shall provide the necessary expertise, advice, support, training and other services to implement the three-year program in cooperation with relevant Armenian government agencies and institutions (Ministry of Transport and Communication, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Education, Republican Road Police). The Secretariat, established in the SSCC Armenian Roads, will coordinate the Consultant’s activities with the entities responsible for road safety in the implementation of the three year program. 3. Tasks The consultant is responsible for the following services: 2 3.1 To strengthen the capacity of the NRSC Secretariat in Armenian Roads and to support it with advice, coordination and documents for successful implementation of the three-year road safety program. 3.2 To inform decision makers and provide them with expert advice and prepare documents as required for the establishment of the NRSC. 3.3 To prepare and help implement an action plan to improve the road safety database, MAAP. The accident reporting forms in the MAAP system should be modified in terms of factors considered, accident types, recording of the factors and types, location identification, and the analysis program. The task also includes training of local government staff, staff at SSCC Armenian Roads and Republican Road Police, on accident analysis and economic analysis of road accidents. (MAAP accident analysis and reporting system was introduced in Armenia in 1996. Because of difficulties and imperfections, the Road Police does not use it. The installed system functions poorly and needs to be upgraded, including from MSDOS to WINDOWS. The Consultant should review current situation and propose a new accidents recording system, which would not be too complicated and would be acceptable for practical use in the Road Police. The system and necessary equipment must be within the budget provided for equipment procurement). 3.4 To introduce a method for economic analysis of alternative accident prevention measures or measures to reduce the consequences of road traffic accidents, including training of at least two local experts. 3.5 To review the methodology of accident cost estimation. The current method of accident cost evaluation in Armenia, based on old Soviet methodology, does not meet international standards. Therefore, the Consultant should revise the method or propose a new one, which should meet international standards and be suitable for the Armenian conditions. 3.6 To review the location identification system for road inventories, traffic counts, accidents and other databases of Armenia’s highways to ensure their compatibility. Currently, in Armenia, only a part of mileage posts remain and it is difficult to define the location of accidents and accident black spots. This problem is acute for the Road Police, who are responsible for accident recording and black spot definition. The Consultant should study the current location identification and black spot definition and propose to the Client the most effective location identification system and criteria for black spot definition. Any solution must be cost effective and suitable to Armenian conditions. 3.7 Currently, the road maintenance units make manual traffic counts twice a month. The Consultant should review the current system of traffic counts and propose a more reliable and cost effective method. In particular, an automatic system of traffic counts with capacity to produce ADT, by road class and with seasonal and locational variations, is desired. The proposed method should be consistent with the equipment budget available in the Credit for this purpose. 3.8 To prepare and help implement an action plan to improve road safety engineering. Based on existing MAAP data identify the worst road sections or crash spots and develop a priority list for civil works or other crash prevention measures at an estimated cost of about US$ 1.5 – 2 million to be executed in 2002-2003. 3.9 To prepare an analysis report and description of proposed actions for these road sections or crash black spots based on an economic analysis of alternative measures considered. 3.10 To design road safety improvements for selected hazardous road sections or crash black spots for rehabilitation during the 2002-2003 construction seasons, including the preparation of technical specifications and bidding documents using the World Bank procedures for National Competitive Bidding (NCB). 3.11 To review the TOR for the supervision consultant, employed on demand, for the road safety civil works to be executed during 2002 to 2003. (It is recommended to carry out this work through a subcontractor on demand as it is difficult to predict the time required for these services. Cooperation with local consultants is encouraged.)

3.12 To prepare a road safety training program for the road safety staff at the police, the Armenia Roads, the Road Safety Council, and other institutions and provide training to implement this 3 program and to assist in transfer of technology between Armenian institutions, and international road safety institutions and research or government organizations.

3.13 To prepare and support the introduction of a post-accident action plan for the traffic police, ambulance service, hospitals and other organizations, including a training program of first aid teams. 3.14 To prepare and introduce road safety surveys and road safety audits in Armenia, including training in road safety audits for Armenia Roads staff, other government agencies and local consultants and contractors. All road rehabilitation contracts to be financed under the IDA Credit shall be subject to road safety audit. 3.15 To prepare specifications for goods and equipment to improve road safety, and to prepare bidding documents for procurement, and to assist in appropriate use of the equipment. Preliminary the following items are planned to be procured:  alcometers  speed surveys  equipment for road marking  equipment for road paints  equipment for road signs  communication equipment for Road Police  computerized accidents recording system  an automatic system of traffic counts with a possibility of automatic transfer of data  computers and other office equipment, necessary for effective work of the Secretariat, the Road Police and other organizations. The final list of equipment to be procured should be prepared on the basis of the Consultant’s study. The final list of priority equipment should be approved by the Client, and the entities involved in the Road Safety Program, and by the World Bank. 3.16 To review the old and introduce new legislation and provide support for its implementation- enforcement (for example, Traffic Rules and RA Law on Road Safety, which was prepared by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but not yet approved by the Government of the RA yet).

3.17 Assist the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is responsible for Road Safety publicity, to produce information material for the press and TV, and to prepare instruction material for driver education, road safety in educational institutions and general publicity. 3.18 Prepare a plan with detailed recommendations on how to improve vehicle inspection and assist in its implementation. 4. Duties and Responsibilities of the Consultant. 4.1 The Consultant shall perform the Services in accordance with the international experience, and standards. The Consultant has responsibility for the quality and comprehensiveness of its services and will carry them out in cooperation with the Client and organizations that are involved into road safety. The Consultant shall carry out the services according to the three-year program on Road Safety, which the Client will give to the Consultant and which is abridged in Annex 1. 5. Reports and Scheduling 5.1 The Consultant shall prepare and submit to the Borrower (through PIU) the following reports in six copies (two copies each English and four in Armenian) and two copies to the world Bank in English. Reports should be short and to the point. The emphasis on the services shall be to create real progress in improving road safety in Armenia. 5.2 Inception Report. The Consultant shall prepare an inception report, commenting on the Three-year Road Safety program and giving his views on putting into practice its various components, and particular highlighting any issues that could put the implementation of the program in jeopardy. The inception report shall be submitted to the client and the World Bank within 60 days of signing the contract. 4 5.3 Quarterly Reports. The consultant shall prepare short quarterly progress reports comparing actual progress with project plan, and highlight any issues that may jeopardize successful and timely implementation of the work. 5.4 Report on procurement of goods. Based on the review of the program and a survey of the needs of goods to be procured for the program’s implementation to meet its objectives, the Consultant shall prepare the procurement report with cost estimates not later than 3 months after signing of the contract. After agreement on the scope of procurement the consultant shall prepare detailed specifications for all goods to meet the requirements of the World Bank Bidding Documents for Goods. 5.5 Survey of Hazardous Road Sections and Black spots (3.8, 3.9). This report covers the survey of hazardous sections of streets and roads. It shall include the results of the survey, criteria and selection of priority sections, the recommended actions for improving these sections and black spots, feasibility studies and other information for their detailed design. 5.6 Plans, Specifications and Estimates. The Consultant shall submit design documents on Road Safety improvement of the chosen hazardous road sections and black spots, including technical specifications and bidding documents for NCB. All documents shall be approved by the Borrower and the World Bank. The Consultant shall provide, as an electronic version, two copies of the of the tender documents package in English and two copies in Armenian. Tender documents are to be submitted to the Client by May 1, 2002. 5.8 Technical Reports. The Consultant shall prepare short Technical Progress Reports describing progress, findings and providing recommendations for advancing activities and giving key results of meetings and negotiations with parties involved in road safety. These reports will also serve to coordinate the subsequent steps. The reports may include attachments, instructions, methodological directions developed by the Consultant. The Consultant is requested to outline in his Technical Proposal the schedule of reports to be submitted.

5.9 Report on Training. The Consultant shall submit to the Client a brief report on training of local staff in Armenia and abroad. The report shall include a list of trained personnel, subjects of the training, dates and place of training. 5.10 Final Report. The Consultant shall submit the final report on the executed services, achieved results, and recommendations for succeeding actions. The report shall include the final agreed versions of instructions and methodological directions. 6. Resources 6.1 The Client will provide to the Consultant office space, transport means, available equipment and access to telephone and fax. 6.2 The work described in this TOR is expected to require 17 to 20 man months. The work should commence as soon as possible and be completed by September 1, 2002. 6.3 The following reports on Road Safety are available and they will be accessible for the Consultant during Services implementation: Technical Note “ Guidance on Road Safety control “ 1996, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Accidents cost “ 1996, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Accidents data collection and analysis “ 1996, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Road Safety coordination “ 1996, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Vehicles inspection “ 1996, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Guidance on Road Safety audit “ 1996, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Training and Publicity “ 1997, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Training and drivers testing “ 1997, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Post-accidental aid“ 1997, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company Technical Note “ Road Safety Engineering “ 1997, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company - 5 years program on Road Safety, 1998-2002 (1997, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company - Final report on inspection (2000, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company) 5 - Report on Road Safety improvement priority measures (2000, prepared by “ Ross Silcock “ company) 6.4 The Consultant should closely cooperate with the Transport PIU, which coordinates Transport Project, with the SSCC “Armenian Roads”, implementing Road component of the Transport Project, with the Road Police, responsible for Road Safety, with Ministry of Health, responsible for post-accidental aid. Members of coordinating group will be selected from SSCC “Armenian Roads” staff and they will assist to the Consultant to coordinate his/her activities with other agencies.

APPENDIX 1 Brief Report on Inspection 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1.1 This Final Inspection Report has been produced by Ross Silcock Limited under contract to the Armenian Roads SSCC . 1.1.2 The project team comprises of a road safety specialist, two safety engineers from the UK and a local engineer. The overall objectives of the project, according to the Terms of Reference are: • to study the condition of road safety in Armenia; • to determine the priority areas for road safety improvement; and • to design road safety improvements for selected hazardous locations. 2. CURRENT ROAD SAFETY SITUATION 2.1 Review of Existing Situation by Sector 2.1.1 The 1996/97 Technical Assistance for Road Safety project included a comprehensive review of all sectors of road safety activity, including: • Crash Data System; • Coordination (National Road Safety Council); • Road Safety Engineering and Safety Audits; • Traffic Legislation and Enforcement; • Education and Publicity; • Driver Training and Testing; • Vehicle Inspections; and • Post Crash Assistance. 2.1.2 As part of the current project, the road safety situation is again considered but concentrates on any changes since the previous review. However, some of the main points of note are: • Procedures are underway to establish a new National Road Safety Council (NRSC); • A new improved crash report form is in use; • MAAP/5 is no longer in use at the Republican Road Police; • The Ministry of Education and Science are currently introducing a Life Skills Program that includes road safety education; • There have been many improvements to the road network in Yerevan, including improved road marking, installation of central barriers on two major routes, and repair of traffic signals; • 180 km of the main road network were rehabilitated in 1998/99 including the provision of road markings, signs and reflective delineating posts; • 23 new ambulances have been purchased for operation in Yerevan since 6 October 1998; • Safety audits are now being conducted in Armenia. 2.2 Crash and Casualty Data 2.2.1 Reliable crash and casualty data are the cornerstones on which all other road safety activity is built. It is crucial that accurate data is available, especially in order to develop appropriate engineering, enforcement and publicity measures. Previous work in Armenia suggests that there may be a high level of under-reporting. For example, in the Yerevan Streets Safety Audit report (1999), it was found that, for the streets studied, only three of the 173 recorded casualties were categorized as a slight injury, with 142 serious casualties and 28 fatalities. For car occupants, the serious: fatal injury ratio was calculated to be 8. In comparison, in the UK this figure is 100. This suggests that almost all -slight injury crashes are not reported to the Police in Yerevan, and probably less than a quarter of serious injury crashes. 2.2.2 During the 10 years from 1990 to 1999 (inclusive), around 4,000 persons were killed and approximately 14,500 were injured in reported road crashes. 2.2.3 There was a steep increase in the number of road crash casualties and fatalities from 1988, peaking in 1990 but then the number of casualties declined sharply. There are a number of possible reasons for this but it is likely that it was a result of constraints on travel and car ownership at the time. As economic activity in the Republic began to improve so the number of casualties started to increase as would be expected. Although it is encouraging that the number of casualties has again started to decline in recent years, there are concerns that other factors are masking the true picture. For example, anecdotal evidence suggests that the actual population of Armenia is much lower than the official figure of 3.6 million. This would obviously have an impact on the number of crashes. The trends in road crashes and casualties need to be monitored over the coming years to establish whether there is a pattern. 2.2.4 In addition, although most of the more serious crashes are probably correctly reported, it is highly likely that many of the less serious crashes are not, as motorists settle the matter between themselves without involving the Police. This makes identifying the crash problems difficult, since only partial information is available for analysis. 2.2.5 It is often useful to compare the fatality rates of different countries. It has been suggested to the project team that Armenia, in 1999, had a fatality rate of around 7 deaths/10,000 licensed vehicles, however it is not possible to validate this as it has not been possible to obtain vehicle fleet data. Earlier work calculated that the fatality rate was around 12 deaths/10,000 vehicles after correction to a 30 day death. 2.2.6 While the fatality rate of 7 deaths/10,000 vehicles in Armenia is no worse than many of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe, it is still unacceptably high compared to countries such as Sweden, the UK and Italy. It should also be noted that this rate is almost certainly artificially low. 2.3 Costs of Crashes to the Community 2.3.1 Research by the UK Transport Research Laboratory from a number of countries indicates that losses to the economy are normally in the range of 1-2% of a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It was previously estimated that, if this percentage was applied to Armenia, crashes cost the Republic between US$ 40 million and US$ 80 million every year (1994 data). 2.3.2 Previous work undertaken by Armenian Roads SSCC in 1996/97 calculated the overall cost of road crashes to be US$ 7 million, which seems to be very low. This was based on the cost of crashes by severity calculated using Soviet formulae as: • Slight casualty = $254; • Serious casualty = $976; • Disabled person = $ 10,693; and • Fatality = $9583. 2.3.3 These figures include human costs only, and do not take account of vehicle and property damage. They can therefore be assumed to be an under-estimation of the true costs. Armenian Roads SSCC are in the process of updating the crash costs by severity. It is intended that these updated costs will be used for cost benefit analyses later on in the project. 3. PRIORITY AREAS FOR ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENT 3.1 Introduction 7 3.1.1 The Five Year Road Safety Program for Armenia (1998 - 2002) was developed following consultation with the main stakeholders. It is encouraging to note that the original Program has been adapted by Armenian Roads SSCC to form a three year plan in line with their own planning requirements. In addition, they have negotiated a US$5 million loan from the World Bank to commence implementation of road safety improvements. While the focus of initial improvements will certainly be on engineering measures, there is scope to initiate safety improvements in other sectors. The agreed financial split is as follows: Item US$ Civil works 2.5million Equipment and goods 2.0 million Consultancy services 0.5 million Total 5 million 3.1.2 The measures recommended previously as priority areas for improvement are being reviewed based on the three year plan, changes in organizational structure in Armenia, and the review of activities undertaken as part of the current project (see Section 2). More detailed consideration of the priority areas for implementation will be detailed in a later report, as required by the contract. However, the following sections are included to give an early indication of current thinking by the project team. 3.1.3 The main areas for consideration are discussed in the following sections and summarized in Table 1 . 3.2 Coordination of Road Safety 3.2.1 Recently, procedures to form a new Road Safely Council in Armenia have been commenced. A meeting was held with the World Bank and Deputy Ministers of all relevant ministries in November 1999. The Ministry of Transport then wrote to each of the other ministries proposing the formation of a National Road Safety Council (NRSC). To date, favourable replies have been received from all except the Ministry of Justice. 3.2.2 The formation of such an NRSC in Armenia is a very positive step towards improving the road safety situation. It also demonstrates the concern and interest of the Government. However, consideration needs to be given now as to how the NRSC will function and, perhaps more importantly, how it will be funded in the future. 3.2.3 The NRSC will facilitate road safety improvements, first through coordination of the proposed activities under the US$5 million World Bank loan, and in the future, so that efforts of different agencies are coordinated to ensure maximum effectiveness. 3.2.4 It is also understood that a Permanent Working Group will be formed under the Deputy Minister of Transport. This is essential to ensure that decisions made by the NRSC are implemented. The Permanent Working Group will not implement all actions themselves but will need to ensure that actions are undertaken by relevant organizations. 3.2.5 It is recommended that some funding from the US$5 million be included to facilitate the setting up and equipping of both the NRSC (including image development, production of letterheads) and of the Working Group (including computers and printers). 3.3 Crash Data System 3.3.1 There are some concerns that the database established at Republican Road Police headquarters under the previous World Bank funded road safety technical assistance project has not been maintained. However, the revised crash report form, developed as part of earlier improvements to the crash data system, is now in use. The Police state that it is useful as more information is collected than was previously the case. The form contains additional information required by practitioners, such as engineers, however, the data is still analyzed manually. The Republican Road Police report that MAAP five is no longer used as it does not provide the tabulations that they require. The use of MAAP/five will be reviewed at a later stage of the current project to determine whether the program should be updated to MAAP for Windows. The fact that MAAP five is no longer in use does not give confidence that the system would be used even if updated. 8 3.3.2 One of the main requirements for road safety engineering, is accurate crash location information. It is believed that, despite the best efforts of the Police, this is still not possible due to the lack of kilometer marker posts, and or their accurate siting. The installation of such markers is, therefore, still a priority. As an interim improvement, DorProject prepared a road inventory for the major highways in 1996 to enable better identification of locations. It is suggested that this be updated as part of the process of installing kilometer posts to give an up-to-date and more detailed inventory. In the meantime, the Police have been provided with the inventory to assist them in identifying crash locations. 3.3.3 It appears that no organization in Armenia currently plots the crashes and casualties on a map. This is something that the Permanent Working Group of the NRSC should rectify as soon as possible. Mapping crashes allows engineers, enforcers and educationalists to see, at a glance, where the problem areas are. Again, it the MAAP database had been maintained this could have been done by computer. 3.4 Road Safety Engineering 3.4.1 There are also some institutional improvements required to ensure sustainability in this sector. It is not a sustainable option to continue using international consultants. There is a need to further improve in-house safety engineering capability, for example, within an Institute such as DorProject, and within Armenian Roads SSCC. 3.4.2 Further training of existing engineers is required. Although individuals could be enrolled on short courses in other countries, this only has a limited effect. It is therefore suggested that some of the available funds are used to establish a specific road safety training course at the Center of Excellence in the Architectural Institute. They already have links with Universities in Birmingham, Dublin and Paris and are understood to run courses on civil engineering. In the longer term it would then be possible to include subjects, such as safety audit, in the engineering course of the University of Engineering using teachers trained at the Center of Excellence. 3.4.3 In terms of institutional development, the previous technical assistance project recommended that a Road Safety Unit (RSU) be established in Armenia, probably within Armenian Roads SSCC, but with responsibilities for the whole road network. This is still considered to be desirable, as it would allow a main center for road safety engineering to be developed. The head of the RSU should be a trained engineer with additional training in crash prevention and reduction techniques. 3.4.4 Safety audit has started to he used in Armenia, but is not yet a legal requirement for road rehabilitation schemes. The hazardous location improvements to be undertaken in the next (implementation) phase should be audited. 3.5 Legislation and Enforcement 3.5.1 The levels of fines for traffic violations were increased in 1997 and have not been increased since. Some of the apparent anomalies are, therefore, still in place. For example, for dark windows or curtains in a vehicle, the fine is 4,000 AMD, the same as for speeding. The fine for not wearing a seatbelt is lower. It is recommended that the traffic legislation be reviewed as a matter of urgency to ensure that safety becomes a main focus. 3.5.2 In terms of enforcement equipment, the main immediate requirement is for speed detectors and alcometres. Although alcometres are not evidential, they would allow the Police to determine which drivers should be taken for testing at the laboratory. Once alcometres are obtained, it will be necessary for Government to decide the legal breath alcohol limit and there may be a need to include their use in legislation. 3.6 Education and Publicity 3.6.1 With the introduction of road safety education for children through the new Life Skills program, the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) are effectively tackling the issue and are to be commended. It is considered that minimal financial support is required in this sector at present. Efforts will be made during the current project to give guidance to the program developers and to provide them with copies of relevant teaching materials from the UK. 3.6.2 Experience and research suggests that engineering and enforcement interventions can be maximized by including publicity as part of the activity. In particular, it is recommended that the proposed engineering improvements are publicized to ensure that road users are aware of why changes 9 have been made and to inform them of what behavior is expected from them. In addition, increased enforcement of drink/driving and speeding using the new equipment should be publicized. 3.6.3 Previously, there were billboards in Yerevan and on some highways with road safety messages. Research shows that long term, or permanent, advertising has limited effect after a certain period of time. However, it is felt that at present it would be useful to develop such billboards at the same time as other road safety activities are undertaken, primarily to signal to the public that there are road safety changes being made. In particular, such advertising should focus on drink/driving and speed. 3.6.4 Other publicity and articles in the media in the short term could include: • The scale of the problem (number of crashes and casualties); • NRSC formation; • Need for driver training/testing; • Speed; and • Drink/driving. It is likely that consultancy services will be required to progress this area in the immediate future. However, it must be ensured that any such technical assistance includes sufficient technology transfer (to the Police and the NRSC Permanent Working Group) to leave adequate capability in-country for future activity in this sector. 3.7 Driver Training and Testing 3.7.1 The introduction of new credit-card style driving licenses and a computerized driver information system are important steps in the improvement of this sector. However, further improvements, especially in training and testing procedures may require a change of policy. There are few actions that can be taken until decisions on the way forward have been taken, and any policy changes progressed. The NRSC will have an important role to play in this area. Publicity is also required to persuade the public of the benefits of compliance with the system. 3.8 Vehicle Inspections 3.8.1 There may be some benefit in developing a modern, fully equipped, vehicle inspection center in Yerevan, as a pilot project. This could be a feasible option if the testing center is given a target revenue to generate each year, such that, in effect, the amount of funding proposed is "repaid" within a given number of years. At the same time, there may also be a need to increase the level of vehicle roadworthiness enforcement. Methods of obtaining vehicle fitness certificates illegally (by circumventing the system) must also be reduced, as there is little point in spending limited funds on such a facility if it is abused by the public. Some assurances are required that monitoring systems will be developed and management procedures tightened before this goes ahead. 3.9 Post Crash Assistance 3.9.1 Although there is a need for heavy investment in new ambulances in Armenia, the impact of buying one or two under the funding available, would be minimal. It may, however, be relevant to purchase/upgrade equipment in the existing vehicles, and more importantly to provide additional (paramedic) training for the ambulance crews. 3.9.2 Although, post crash assistance was not included in the three year program, it is recommended that some investment is made in this area. 3.10 Research 3.10.1 As mentioned in Section 2.3, Armenian Roads SSCC already calculate crash costs using Soviet methodology. In addition, there is a possibility of Armenia being included as a case study in an international research project (funded by DFID), that is looking to improve crash costing methodologies. 3.10.2 A suitable, independent Institute will need to be identified to monitor the effectiveness of the hazardous location improvements described in the following section. A program of research needs to be developed, research undertaken, and equally as important, the results disseminated. 10 Table 1 : Summary of Priority Areas for Improvement (Draft) Note : Improvements that may require funding from the World Bank loan are shown in bold. Coordination Crash Data Engineering Legislation/ Education/ Driver Vehicle Post Crash Research Enforcement Publicity Training Inspections Assistance Establish Inclusion of Review Review traffic Include RSE Feasibility Build new site Purchase new Identify research NRSC minor injuries engineering legislation in Life Skills study of for pilot center trauma organizations design driver ambulances standards training and Setup Install km posts Introduce legal Harmonize Develop and Policytesting agency Purchase Purchase Develop Permanent on main road requirement for with EU laws produce changes re equipment equipment for research Working network and safety audit teachers guide? driving test existing program Group (PWG) update ambulances at MOT inventory Purchase Upgrade Hazardous Purchase Publicity on Full review of Training of Paramedic Revised crash equipment for MAAP location equipment engineering existing vehicle training for costing PWG improvements (radar speed improvements system inspection staff ambulance methodology (civil works) detectors and crews alcometres Funding Training on Course Training on use Publicize police Revise Improve Monitor and mechanism data analysis established at of equipment activity on procedures communicatio evaluate established package Center of speed and n system engineering Excellence drink driving improvements Monitor and Procurement of Establish and Review traffic Design and Introduce evaluate road maps to allow train Road policing install single safety plotting of Safety Unit methods billboards emergency improvements crashes (speed and phone number drink driving) Publish Road Publish Road Introduce Run Safety Plan Safety requirement behavioural Engineering for third party campaign Guidelines insurance Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory Advisory services services services services services services services 11

4. ANALYSIS OF ROAD SAFETY IN ARMENIA 4.1 INTRODUCTION This document has been prepared to update information gathered as part of the earlier Technical Services for Road Safety, Armenia project that was undertaken in 1996/97 by Ross Silcock Limited, in association with TRL and DorProject Institute. Full details of the analysis of road safety by sector at that time can be found in the various technical notes prepared as part of the project, as well as the Final Report (June 1997). 4.2 COORDINATION OF ROAD SAFETY Prior to 1991, there was a National Commission on Traffic Safety in Armenia, which came under фе First Deputy of the Prime Minister and involved many of the Ministries with responsibilities in the area of road safety. Recently, procedures to form a new Council have been commenced. A meeting was held with the World Bank and Deputy Ministers from all relevant ministries. The Ministry of Transport then wrote to each ministry proposing the formation of a National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and has received favourable replies to date from all except the Ministry of Justice. In the absence of a National Road Safety Council (NRSC), individual agencies will always tend to operate in isolation with little knowledge of each others activities and often with little contact between organizations carrying out similar activities. The limited funding and technical support available is therefore not used as effectively as it might be. The fornication of such an NRSC in Armenia is, therefore, a very positive step towards improving the road safety situation. It also demonstrates the concern and interest of the Government. This move demonstrates the commitment of high-level policy makers in Armenia to improving the road crash situation in the Republic. The break in continuity in terms of having a coordinating body, is seen to offer an opportunity that will allow the Ministry of Transport to review the function and operations of the Council and more easily initiate changes to improve it. The First National Road Safety Conference was held at the American University of Armenia on 23 May 1997. It was attended by over 80 people from the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Science, Republican Road Police, Urban Road Police, DorProject, Architectural and Construction Institute, Advertising Agency, and others. It is hoped that this will become an annual event. 4.3 CRASH DATA SYSTEM The Road Police are responsible for reporting and investigating all casualty road crashes and is under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Casualty crashes are legally required to be reported to the Road Police. The previous crash report form was based on the Soviet version, and while coded and containing many useful areas, it was felt that by making some changes, the form could easily be improved. The fields from the previous form were maintained in the final version of the new form, but some additional information was also included that is required by other safety professionals, such as engineers, to design crash remedial measures. The revised report form was trialed in Yerevan from January to March 1997 as part of the Technical Services for Road Safety, Armenia project. The form was later formally adopted and is now in use throughout Armenia. Also as part of the previous project, the Microcomputer Accident Analysis Package (MAAP/five) was installed at the headquarters of the Republican Road Police and police officers trained in data entry and analysis. There were already moves within the Republican Road Police to computerize analysis, therefore, providing MAAP/five meant that they could move more quickly to computerization, using a well trialed program. However, although MAAP/five would have enabled easier analysis of the new report form, including the 12 production of stick diagrams for use by safety engineers, it is no longer used by the Police. The reason given is that the program is too slow, and they can analyze the data quicker by hand. Crash data is still analyzed on a monthly basis at both the regional and republic level. The Organization and Analytic department within the Republican Road Police produces an annual crash summary report which is based on the monthly summaries that are all are conducted manually. There is still a problem that missing kilometer reference markers prevents many crash locations from being accurately identified. Road Police are forced to estimate the crash location to the nearest kilometer. Replacement of kilometer posts is, therefore, seen as an important factor in improving crash reporting and analysis. While injury details are requested, crash injuries are not standardized into serious and slight classifications. Serious injury ranges from any road crash injury which requires hospitalization (overnight stay minimum) up to deaths caused by road crash injuries after more than a week has passed from the crash occurrence. Slight injuries are defined as those, which require medical treatment but not hospitalization and are reported to be deleted from registration once identified as such. Just as fatal road crashes are accepted as having more serious consequences than injury crashes, so should serious injuries be separated and prioritized over slight injuries. It is important that slight casualty crashes are also reported and included in analysis. It is understood that this is still not the case. Armenia defines a road crash fatality as a death from road crash related injuries within one week of the crash's occurrence. This is shorter than the accepted international definition of a road crash fatality of thirty days. For countries, such as Armenia, which use a one week time period for road crash fatalities, the Economic Commission for Europe and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport recommend factoring up 8% to reflect n standardized 30 day definition for comparison between countries (Road Accidents Great Britain 1994, The Casualty Report, 1995). 4.4 SAFETY ENGINEERING There have been various improvements in this sector over the last few years. There is a culture of safety conscious design developing and this is evident in the work undertaken by Armenian Roads SSCC and DorProject Institute. There is increasing consideration of crash prevention within scheme design. Safety Audit seeks to provide safety benefits in addition to those provided within the standards, and to introduce safety elements on those parts of the design not directly covered by the design standards. There is no specific requirement to undertake these checks in a systematic, organized way, such as would take place within a mandatory Road Safety Audit, however there is increasing use of the techniques in Armenia, for example, Armenian Roads SSCC commissioned a Road Safety Audit of selected Yerevan streets in 1999. It was previously recommended that a mandatory Road Safety Audit process, backed by relevant legislation, should be adopted for all national road schemes over $500,000 with Road Safety Auditors being independent from the detailed design of the schemes they are Auditing. For schemes smaller than $500,000, consideration should be given to a system of Road Safety Auditing using Independent Design Team Auditors. Road Safety Audits should be carried out in accordance with the provisions described in the Guidelines produced under the previous project. Crash Reduction 13

Within urban areas, some work has been undertaken. In Yerevan, central barriers have been installed on two major roads where there was an overtaking problem resulting in head on collisions. The standards for road signs and markings conform to European and International Conventions and the Former Soviet Union standards have not been updated for at least ten years (but this should be considered in the context of the fact that only minor revisions have been made in the International codes over this period). However, few signs are currently produced because of lack of finance. Discussion took place with 3M in 1998 with regards to the possibility of setting up a new sign shop at Echmiadzin, but this did not go ahead. Remedial measures tend to be devised intuitively and not from a logical methodology. As a result, engineers have not yet fully developed expertise in high-risk site analysis techniques, or in the design of complementary low cost engineering remedial measures. This has improved new hat over recent years. The level of crash data currently collected is still insufficient for good crash remedial work. Institutional Development Various organizations have responsibilities affecting road safety, that is, it is fragmented, and there is no effective coordinating mechanism to ensure that all key parties contribute effectively to the improvement of road safety. An important aspect of the five-year Program, to improve this sector, was the recommended formation of a proposed full-time Road Safety Unit, based within Armenian Roads SSCC. This is still considered desirable, but to date has not been undertaken. 4.5 ENFORCEMENT AND LEGISLATION The Organizational and Analytic Department of the Republican Road Police is responsible for general administrative functions within the organization and analyses road crash data producing an annual report. From crash records, data are analyzed to establish trends and profiles. The information obtained is circulated within the Republican Road Police and forms the basis on which policing strategies and priorities are established. The Road Inspection and Road Safety Department deals with road design and maintenance and should also regulate traffic at road works. They provide a more direct input and review of final works than is experienced by Traffic Management Officers in the United Kingdom. Officers employed within this section have undergone road engineering training prior to joining the Republican Road Police and, except under exceptional circumstances, do not perform operational Police duty. Traffic Patrol Services Department provides operational policing services on the road network by way of uniformed patrolling presence in vehicles. Deployments are based on historical data provided by the Organizational and Analytic Department, allowing demand identified policing priorities. The traffic laws and the legislation in Armenia are based on the former Soviet system. Within the road safety context, the Republican Road Police are particularly powerful and undertake a significant role in the legislative procedures (suggesting offences and penalties), and imposition of penalties (acting quasi-judicially) for traffic violations. Power has been vested in the Police by way of a decree of the Supreme Soviet entitled "Administrative Responsibility for Traffic Violations". In effect, this empowered the Police (as part of the Executive) to sanction the motorist (in a Judicial capacity). There is, however, an appeal process to the Judiciary. Whilst penalties for traffic offences are comparatively modest, criminal responsibility is identified for more serious offences. In such cases where there is a violation together with an injury or death, or significant financial damage, serious consequences, such as imprisonment for 14 a period of up to three years, community service and license confiscation, can be imposed. Particularly severe penalties are imposed if the offence is in respect of a state vehicle. Again, for example, administrative procedures are applied for the first of Tence of drinking and driving within one year, but the imposition of a criminal penalty for the second of Tence within that period. The penalties for traffic violations were increased in 1997 and publicized through the "02" Newspaper. Despite the fact that the cost of living has generally increased in the last three years, it is understood that the fines for violations have not increased. It is of concern that the penalties are not particularly supportive of road safety. Previous information suggested that, for example, not using a seat belt or helmet can result in a fine equivalent to 30% of the minimum monthly salary (i.e. 300 drams, approximately US$ 0.6 in 1997) whereas having tinted glass, or displaying a false number plate at the time could each result in a fine of 5 to times the minimum monthly salary (i.e. Between 5,000 and 10,000 drams or US$10 to US$20). This is clearly not acceptable. There are some discrepancies between previous and current information, for example, recent consultations suggested that the fine for tinted glass is currently 4,000 drams for a first offence. Although road patrol officers are frequently seen observing the traffic in Yerevan and on the highways, such surveillance is undertaken from a stationary position and little patrolling in traffic is observed. Since the earlier review, there has been little of no investment in police equipment, due to a severe lack of funding. There is still a need for investment in the following areas: • Alcohol breath testing (alcometres); • Radar speed detection devices; • First aid equipment; • Basic rescue and release equipment; and • Collapsible warning signs and other safety equipment such as fluorescent materials, needed to give advanced warnings of road crashes, carriageway obstructions or other dangers. 4.6 EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY UNICEF has been involved in developing the Life Skills program over the last 2 years jointly with the Ministry of Education and Science. The themes within the Life Skills curriculum were developed during 1999 and consist of: • Myself; • Relationships; • Community; and • Environment. The Life Skills program, as well as introducing new concepts into the education system in Armenia, also introduces new teaching methodology, i.e. Child-centered. Road safety fits comfortably within Life Skills and is best taught interactively. The permanent Life Skills Working Group, which has been set up under the Center for Education Reform of the MES, is developing workbooks for students. Initially Life Skills will be taught as a separate subject rather than trying to integrate it into other academic subjects. This allows implementation to be quicker as if integrated, they would have had to have changed the textbooks in all subjects. There is still little activity in the area of education/publicity for the general road user public. The Republican Road Police have responsibility in the sector but have historically tended to concentrate on their role in schools. There are regular articles published in the press covering a variety of safety topics including the need for seatbelts and drink/driving. However, it is 15 considered that there is a need for the Police to start setting a good example themselves, especially in the use of seatbelts. The publicity does not take the form of a sustained campaign, but rather is on an ad hoc basis. 4.7 DRIVER TRAINING TESTING This sector is the responsibility of the Registration and Licensing Department of the Republican Road Police. There have been no changes in this sector in terms of the procedures for training and testing, however, it was reported that several ineffective driving schools have been closed down. The Department is also responsible for second stage driver testing (both theory and practical) and for the issue of driving licenses. A database of license holders is maintained and penalties for violations are recorded against drivers. The driver licenses are without a time limit, although drivers may periodically, for example, be required to produce a medical certificate in order to retain the license. In the near future a new credit-card style license is being introduced. This has been developed with assistance from, and training by, Siemens. Existing drivers will be able to exchange their license for a new one. It was reported that learner drivers are still allowed to drive and to be laugh by relatives and friends. This is for a six month period before applying for a test. Few of the vehicles in use in Yerevan carry identifying marks to show that they are being driven by novice drivers and also, there are few signs of vehicles that could be recognized as instruction vehicles. There are three driving test centers in Yerevan and seventeen throughout the Republic. Lack of funding means there has been little or no investment in this sector. It is understood that the facilities were run down and in some cases virtually derelict. 4.8 VEHICLE INSPECTION The Technical Inspection Department of the Republican Road Police is responsible for vehicle testing and other technical matters such as type approval of vehicles manufactured or modified in Armenia. The annual testing of privately owned vehicles is undertaken by staff who has received training prior to joining the Road Police. It is believed that within the current system, they are only required to be Police Officers for the purposes of inspecting the vehicles. The vehicle inspection system is well established in Armenia and, in general, is well organized. The Police are also responsible for the preparation of legislation relating to vehicle inspection. The main problem in this area is a chronic lack of equipment at vehicle testing stations. All vehicles are scheduled to attend for their routine inspection during the period from 1 January to 31 July each year. Additionally, passenger carrying vehicles are required to undergo a second, pre-winter, inspection in the autumn. Vehicles that have failed to be inspected at the normal time may be inspected during the remainder of the year. An additional penalty payment is due should this occur. There are a total of 43 test stations in Armenia, of which eight are in Yerevan, for the testing of private vehicles. Linked to the annual vehicle inspection is an environmental check and the annual license is also payable at the same time. The official amount payable is reported to total a minimum of 16,000 drams (depending on engine size). Considering the difficulties experienced by Armenian organizations and people during the last few years, the condition of vehicles, in general, is exceptionally good. There is no formal supply mechanism for the supply of spare parts for any aspect of the transport system including the State Enterprise fleets. Repair businesses are gradually being privatized but, possibly due to a lack of funds and knowledge concerning free enterprise supply systems, the difficulty in obtaining spare parts is likely to be a severe 16 impediment in improving vehicle condition as long as businesses do not hold stocks of spares for ready use or cannot rely on a supply system. The inspection of motor vehicles on an annual basis lies uneasily with a responsibility to supervise the condition of vehicles whilst being used on roads. The expertise of the Officers working in the Technical Inspection Department at present would be of greater benefit in undertaking roadside inspections. This would encourage compliance with minimum roadworthiness standards throughout the year. 4.9 POST CRASH ASSISTANCE Ambulance services are organized on a regional (Marz) basis. The Ministry of Health determines policy and organizational issues and the municipalities are responsible for the management of services in their own region. It is understood that the government pays the ambulance service a fee for each time an ambulance is dispatched. This is currently 2,000 drams for common brigades and 4,000 drams for specialized brigades. The telephone number for emergencies changed last year. The ambulance number is now 103 rather than 03 (101 is for the fire brigade, and 102 is police). However, it is apparent from informal discussions that members of the public are generally unaware of the emergency numbers. There are 45 ambulance stations located throughout the Republic of Armenia, linked to local hospitals In 1996 they collectively responded to 323,695 calls, 41% of which, (132,732), originated in Yerevan. There are seven stations in Yerevan. Estimates of annual dispatches given to the project team were 132,000/year in Yerevan. In the majority of cases, ambulances are crewed by a doctor, a nurse and a driver, but in the more remote areas of the country the crew is likely to comprise of just a nurse and driver. Target response times in Yerevan are reported to be between 7 and 12 minutes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these are often not met. Many vehicles are unroadworthy, (previous estimates of 50%) and clearly unsafe for ambulance transport. Specialized first aid and patient care equipment is virtually non-existent and where it does exist, it is clearly past its economic life, and is ineffective. In Yerevan, 23 new ambulances were purchased between October 1998 and May 1999. The remainder of the fleet (20 vehicles) is old and liable to break down. The standards, from Soviet times, required one ambulance per 10,000 population. It is estimated that in Yerevan, to comply with this standard, additional 37 ambulances are required. The complete lack of patient care equipment on ambulances results in skilled doctors and nurses arriving at the crash scene confronted with a seriously injured patient(s) and no equipment to stabilize or improve the patients condition, prior to evacuation to hospital. Therefore equipment purchase is also a high priority. Most ambulance buildings are in an advanced state of disrepair. Buildings in such a condition affect the efficient operation of the ambulance service. For example, the dispatch center requires a continuous electrical supply if it is to maintain radio contact with ambulances. Similarly, a continuous electrical supply is necessary at ambulance stations to support battery- charging facilities for life saving medical monitoring equipment. The telephone and radio communication facilities are old technology, and the non availability of appropriate spare parts creates unreliable systems and systems support. Outside Yerevan, there are large areas of the country where there is no radio coverage, making communication with ambulances at crash sites impossible. The Regions are lacking in heavy rescue facilities for rescuing casualties trapped in wrecked vehicles or by fallen masonry. Lack of these facilities can further delay the treatment and transfer of seriously injured patients to hospital. 17

The current practice of actively encouraging the civilian population to take their victims to hospital by car, rather than summon an ambulance should be discouraged. This will need an amendment to Traffic Rule 4.4, which states that "to call the ambulance and if it is impossible, to send the casualties by vehicles of the same direction or to take casualties by their own transport means to the nearest hospital". Where serious injuries are involved, such as damage to internal organs or head and spinal injuries, such premature action puts life at risk and increases the mortality rate. Coupled with the lack of telephones in working order, delaying the summoning of assistance, this probably accounts for the high casualty ratio (ratio of fatalities to injuries) in Armenia. OXFAM and other international NGOs are involved in primary health provision in the southern part of Armenia. One component of the OXFAM project, for example, is the training of health providers on primary health care and first aid. 5. Draft Expendure Profile for Priority Actions (3-Year program) Activities Year1 Year Year Total Notes 2 3 COORDINATION Establish NRSC 10 0 0 10 b Set up Permanent Working Group at 15 10 0 25 b MOTC Purchase equipment for PWG 20 20 10 50 b Funding mechanism established 0 0 0 0 Monitor and evaluate road safety 0 0 0 0 improvements Publish Road Safety Plan 0 0 5 5 b Training 25 20 5 50 c Advisory services 25 15 0 40 c SUBTOTAL 95 65 20 180 CRASH DATA SYSTEM Inclusion of minor injuries 0 0 0 0 Install km posts on main road 100 200 150 450 b network/update inventory Upgrade MAAP 15 0 0 15 b Training on data analysis package 15 0 0 15 c Procurement of maps to allow plotting of 5 0 0 5 b crashes Purchase of hardware/software 20 5 0 25 b Advisory services 20 10 0 30 c SUBTOTAL 175 215 150 540 ROAD SAFETY ENGINEERING Review engineering design standards 0 5 0 5 b Introduce legal requirement for safety 5 5 5 15 b audit Hazardous location improvements (Civil 500 1000 1000 2500 a works) Improve capability for road 500 500 200 1200 b signs/markings Course established at Center of Excellence 5 0 0 5 b 18

Establish Road Safety Unit 10 0 0 10 b Publish Road Safety Engineering 0 0 0 0 Guidelines Advisory services 80 20 20 120 c SUBTOTAL 1100 1530 1225 3855 LEGISLATION/ENFORCEMENT Review traffic legislation 0 0 0 0 Harmonize with EU laws 0 0 0 0 Purchase equipment (speed detectors and 15 50 50 115 b etc.) Review traffic policing methods 0 0 0 0 Introduce requirements for third party 0 0 0 0 insurance Training 0 30 0 30 c Advisory services 20 10 0 30 c SUBTOTAL 35 90 50 175 EDUCATION / PUBLICITY Include RSE in Life Skills 0 0 0 0 Publicity on engineering improvements 5 10 0 15 b Publicity policy activity on speed and 0 5 10 15 b drink driving Design and install billboards (speed and 0 0 15 15 b drink driving) Other publicity and campaigns 0 0 0 0 Training 10 10 0 20 c Advisory services 20 10 0 30 c SUBTOTAL 35 35 25 95 DRIVER TRAINING / TESTING Feasibility study of driver training and 0 0 0 0 testing agency Policy changes re driving test 0 0 0 0 Full review of existing system 0 0 20 20 c SUBTOTAL 0 0 20 20 VEHICLE INSPECTION Build new site for pilot center 0 0 0 0 Purchase equipment 0 0 0 0 Training of vehicle inspection staff 0 0 0 0 Revise procedures 0 0 0 0 Advisory services 20 0 0 20 c SUBTOTAL 20 0 0 20 POST CRASH ASSISTANCE Purchase new trauma ambulances 0 0 0 0 Purchase equipment for existing 0 0 0 0 ambulances Paramedic training for ambulance crews 30 30 0 60 c Improve communication system 0 0 0 0 19

Introduce single emergency phone number 0 0 0 0 Advisory services 15 0 0 15 c SUBTOTAL 45 30 0 75 RESEARCH Indetify research organizations 0 0 0 0 Develop research program 0 0 0 0 Revised crash costing methodology 5 0 0 5 b Monitor and evaluate engineering 5 5 5 15 b improvements Advisory services 10 5 5 20 c SUBTOTAL 20 5 15 40 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 1525 1970 1505 5000 Notes A = CIVIL WORKS 2500 ( 2.5 million US Dollars) B= PRIORITY ACTIONS 2000 ( 2 million US Dollars) C= CONSULTANCY INPUTS 500 ( 500 thousand US Dollars) TOTAL 5000 ( 5.0 million US Dollars)