Last 17–21 March 2025, APRSO conducted a series of meetings and engagements in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to perform crash data reviews and safe maturity assessments. 

The team of experts includes Senior Transport Specialist and Road Safety Lead for ADB Priti Gautam,Senior Road Safety Management Specialist Soames Job, and Road Safety Specialist Tana Tan for a productive week of activity in the country. Joined by APRSO PNG Focal Roy Mumu, the team conducted two key activities, a safe system maturity assessment and a crash data review. 

The objective of Crash Data Reviews is to assess existing and planned data systems for road crash data management and to make recommendations for improving these systems.

Safe System Maturity Assessments involve an assessment of country-level progress in the adoption of the Safe System approach for road safety utilizing a tool developed by ADB and APRSO. The assessment is conducted using a blended approach, working directly with key government agencies, and covers management, roads and roadsides, vehicles, users, speeds, medical care, and road use exposure reduction. 

Both activities are designed to provide key recommendations for road safety agencies in PNG to strengthen policy and practice and to guide future APRSO support to road safety agencies in the country.

The team held constructive discussions with a range of stakeholders in the country, including:

• Road Traffic Authority
• Department of Transport
• Department of Lands and Physical Planning
• St John’s Ambulance

A meeting was also held with the ADB Papua New Guinea Country Director, Said Zaidansyah, which focused on the sustained impact of APRSO activities, and to ensure that ongoing active engagements are in place with key road safety agencies in the country.