URRENO’s School-Zone Safety and Advocacy Experience
URRENO has implemented and advocated for safer school-zone interventions that combine road-safety assessment, data collection, infrastructure analysis, stakeholder engagement and advocacy.
2018 Safer School Zone Project
In 2018, URRENO, together with former Hope for Victims of Traffic Accidents (HOVITA) currently known as Safe Transport And Survivors Support Uganda (STASSU), implemented a Safer School Zone Project covering two primary schools, with support from the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety.
The project used the iRAP Star Rating for Schools approach to assess safety around the selected schools.
The project activities included:
- Collecting information on road infrastructure around the schools.
- Assessing how safely children travelled to and from school.
- Analysing the collected information and establishing school safety ratings.
- Using evidence to advocate for safer school-zone interventions.
- Engaging stakeholders including Parliament, KCCA, UNRA, the Ministry of Education and Sports and road-safety partners.
Building the Safer School Zone Approach
URRENO’s later school-zone work has continued to connect data, infrastructure, speed management and advocacy.
Its school road-safety programmes have included road crash data collection, stakeholder engagement, speed-management discussions and mobilisation of schools and surrounding communities.
This approach recognises that making school journeys safer requires more than education alone. It also requires safer infrastructure, appropriate speeds, informed planning, community participation and coordinated action among relevant stakeholders.
Guide for Establishment of Safe School Zones for Uganda
In 2025, a Guide for Establishment of Safe School Zones for Uganda was developed to provide practical guidance on school-zone planning and improvement.
The guide covers areas including:
- Speed management
- Pedestrian crossings
- Sidewalks
- Bicycle facilities
- Road signs
- Traffic management
- Road-safety assessments
- Star Rating for Schools
- Road safety education and awareness
- Community engagement
URRENO’s Contribution
URRENO’s contribution to safer school zones includes:
- School-zone safety assessment.
- Collection and use of road-safety evidence.
- Promotion of safer speeds around schools.
- Stakeholder and community engagement.
- Advocacy for safer school infrastructure and environments.
Why Safer School Zones Matter
Children are among the most vulnerable road users, particularly when walking or cycling to and from school. Safer school zones can help reduce exposure to traffic risks by combining appropriate speeds, safer infrastructure, better traffic management, road-safety education and community involvement.
URRENO’s school-zone experience demonstrates the importance of using evidence to understand risks around schools and working with government, schools, communities and other stakeholders to promote practical safety improvements.