Agreement between Government of Nepal and the World Bank

Kathmandu, June-9 The World Bank, acting as administrator of the Global Road Safety Phase 2 Multi-Donor Trust Fund, has agreed to provide US$ 7.47 million (equivalent to Rs 763.80 million) grant assistance to the Government of Nepal for the implementation of Road Safety Support Project. An agreement to this effect was signed today at the Ministry of Finance.

Project aims to introduce and amend relevant transport related acts, rules and regulations in Nepal. It will also support operationalization of the Nepal Road Safety Council and Secretariat. The Project will support two pilot initiatives which will cover urban roads in Pokhara and in Sidhartha Highway.

Approximately 70,000 meters of crash barriers will be installed in high risk road sections in mid and far western regions of the country. These crash barriers will help prevent steep vertical drops along these roads. Other components of the project include provision of state-of-the art training on road safety for professionals, academics and governmental officials in order to develop local road safety related capacity, bachelor and master level road safety courses curricula development for universities/institutes in Nepal and development of road safety database system. The Project will be implemented by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and the Department of Roads and is scheduled to be closed on July 15, 2016.

The agreement was signed by Mr. Madhu Kumar Marasini, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of Nepal and Mr. Takuya Kamata, Country manager of the World Bank, on behalf of the Bank.