Safe commuting practices are a crucial pillar of societal well-being and productivity for all. In Cambodia, thousands of garment and footwear factory workers risk their lives travelling to and from work. Despite the fact that Cambodia’s garment and footwear sector growth over the last decade has been impressive, worker safety has lagged behind due in no small part to the hazards of commuting to work, which have resulted in high numbers of injuries and fatalities. The daily commute to and from work puts the lives of more than 870,000 Cambodian garment and footwear industry workers working at over 1,000 factories across the country at risk.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has recognized the Pleiku People’s Committee in Hanoi, Viet Nam, as an inaugural winner of the Awards for Excellence in Road Safety for its work to identify and promote exemplary road safety efforts. The awards program, held in New York City, was launched as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, which has worked in partnership with international and local organizations and governments to improve road safety and save lives by focusing on five key areas: strengthening national legislation; enhancing data collection and surveillance; changing road user behavior; improving road infrastructure; and upgrading vehicle safety.

Vietnam’s Safe School Zones Guide (SSZ Guide) brings safe school zones a step closer to being a reality for students nationwide. Two years in the making, this SSZ Guide is a comprehensive technical blueprint for urban planners, engineers, and policymakers to address the issue of safe mobility around schools across the country. Following its global launch, the Safe School Zones Guide is now being put into action. AIP Foundation, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport and the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee, is proud to inaugurate the first school zone modifications carried out at four project schools using the Safe School Zones Guide.

As part of the expanding legacy of the Helmets for Kids program in Vietnam, supported by Johnson & Johnson and in collaboration with the National Traffic Safety Committee and the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, a helmet handover ceremony was held at Kim Anh High School in Hanoi. In December 2022, AIP Foundation pioneered helmet safety standards innovation by bringing the first United Nations ECE-22.05 Standard helmets to Vietnam through this program, and 1,640 ECE-22.05 helmets have been distributed to students.

Around the world, the daily commute is a cornerstone of modern life. Many of us have access to safe public transportation options, and some of us can even walk or ride a bicycle to work. Safe commuting practices are a crucial pillar of societal well-being and productivity for all. In Cambodia, thousands of garment and footwear factory workers risk their lives traveling to work. To address these dangers and work together to find solutions, AIP Foundation will be hosting a second national workshop on the Possibility to Transition from Trucks to Safer Vehicles as part of the Prevention and Participation program supported by VF Corporation.

Vietnam’s Safe School Zones Guide (SSZ Guide) brings safe school zones a step closer to being a reality for all students across the country, proving that small actions lead to significant impacts. Two years in the making, this SSZ Guide is a reliable blueprint for urban planners, engineers, and policymakers to address the safe mobility issue around schools across the country on a larger scale. Earlier this year marked the first time that the SSZ Guide was officially handed over to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The Commuting Safety for Cambodian Workers (CSCW) program, in partnership with the Prevention and Participation (P&P) program, concluded field visits in May and August 2023 to highlight the safety measures, policies, and practices that selected factories have made that are improving worker safety.

As part of the Helmets for Kids program recently launched in Bangkok, Thailand, supported by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), AIP Foundation is joining forces with the Royal Automobile Association of Thailand (RAAT – Under Royal Patronage) for a helmet handover ceremony at Wat Chanpradittharam school.

As part of the SAFE STEPS – Road Safety programme, with support from Prudence Foundation through Prudential Cambodia, inaugurates the completed road safety modifications at Stueng Sen High School. Small steps lead to big changes, and today, we saw a monumental change safeguarding the school community with approximately 100 students and 20 teachers attending.

With international partners under a special agreement between the British Council and the University of Aberdeen, AIP Foundation is thrilled to announce that The Green and Equitable Mobility (GEM) conference will be held on January 17, 2024, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The objective of the GEM Conference is to encourage new partnerships and capacity-building to advance equity and sustainability in the mobility and transportation sector. Participants and speakers will achieve this by telling how safe, equitable, and sustainable mobility can positively impact our daily lives and future.