GIA LAI, Vietnam – November 26, 2021

In continuation of the celebration of our Slow Zones, Safe Zones program, and the recent Partnership Framework signing ceremony with the Ministry of Transport for the Safe School Zones Guide, we are delighted to share news of the completion of the school zone modifications at Ia Nhin Primary School in Gia Lai province. Supported by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Region II Asia-Pacific, the modifications will safeguard students’ lives as they arrive and leave school.

Ia Nhin primary school is located on a main provincial highway connecting Pleiku City and Chu Pah district in Gia Lai province. The highway is plagued by heavy traffic – two-wheelers mixing with huge buses and container transportation trucks which highly impacts commuting of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. Road dangers are everywhere, and students are at risk. The speed limit in the area is 50km/h and speeding above this limit is common.

Among a total 650 students aged 6 to 12 years old, our observations at the school showed that 60% of children ride to school on bicycles, 30% are dropped off by their parents via motorcycle, and the remaining 10% walk to school. Before our intervention, at school drop-off and pick-up times, the area around the main gate was often chaotic, with significant traffic congestion and disorder due to inadequate infrastructure around the school.

To prevent further risk and safeguard students on their way to and from school, AIP Foundation conducted a school zone assessment in August 2020. We applied iRAP’s Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) techniques at the main gate of the school. The assessment showed that the school only reached two stars on the SR4S rating system.

In collaboration with our key Government partner, the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) in Gia Lai, we conducted road infrastructure upgrades, including; crosswalks, rumble strips, traffic lights, road markings, speed reduction, school zone signs, and new sidewalks. Our most important intervention that helped students become safer in the school is the reduced speed from legally 50 km/h to 30 km/h during peak pick-up and drop-off times.

The safety modifications were validated by the Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) App, which determined that Ia Nhin school successfully increased its safety rating from 2 to 5 (the safest rating) stars, enabling our next generation to safely access education.