DOHA MORE than 60 participants representing major stakeholders in the transport of dangerous goods in Qatar participated in the global workshop on road transport capacity building and professional training, recently.
The workshop was organised by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) Academy in coordination with Mowasalat and the Arab Union of Land Transport (AULT).
The workshop focused on the transport of dangerous goods by road (ADR). This falls under a regional project for the League of Arab States countries aimed at improving road safety and road transport efficiency in the region.
It was held under the auspices of Staff Major-General Saad bin Jassim al Khulaifi, director-general of public security and was supported by the Islamic Development Bank, the IRU and the AULT.
The event followed the recent activities undertaken by Mowasalat under its cooperation with the IRU Academy as a contribution to the UN Decade of Actions on Road Safety.
Nasser al Khanji, director of Mowasalat Business Development and Strategy, delivered the inaugural address at the seminar. He stated that the industrial expansion taking place in Qatar has created a demand for dangerous goods, doubling the number of trucks carrying them. This workshop was, therefore, hosted amid these accelerated developments.
He pointed out that Mowasalat has developed bases of integrated training, in collaboration with the IRU Academy, in order to build up efficient training capacities and to attain global leadership in this area.
Jassem Saif al Sulaiti, Mowasalat chairman and managing director, congratulated the gathering of professionals, experts and stakeholders, which involves significance for the safety of people, vehicles and road users as a result of the transportation of dangerous goods, including fuels, flammable materials, chemicals and radioactive materials.
Through their discussions and papers, the participants developed guidelines that guide vehicles carrying such goods and identify the appropriate frameworks and standard specifications that ensure transport safety, save lives, transport goods and vehicles from the danger associated with the seriousness of such goods.
Ahmed Bu Sherbak al Mansouri, Mowasalat executive director, referred to the fact that the volume of the carriage of dangerous goods by road was increasing due to the rich natural resources, the strong demand on transport and economic growth.
The strict compliance with the international regulations of the carriage of dangerous goods by road is a significant factor in ensuring the safety of drivers, vehicles and road users and benefiting the community as a whole. In this regard, the UN Convention on International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road stands as the strongest multilateral framework for international rules and legislations related to the safe transport of dangerous goods by road everywhere, including the Arab countries.
Robert Makondo, Mowasalat training manager, said that to ensure successful carriage of dangerous goods, the training materials included many of the approved fundamentals for transporting them and reducing their danger in cases of accidents. “We have developed a course, including such materials and ways of handling them in various cases and thorough information on road safety. The workshop’s aim was to identify the bases and methods of the safe carriage of various dangerous goods by road; enhance the mechanisms for compliance with such bases and methods; and boost awareness of the importance of observing them to avoid accidents involving high-scale danger for both humans and machinery, particularly in high-density roads and preserve national resources and economy,” he said.
The workshop included sessions on the significance of road transport professional training to ensure safe and efficient transport operations; harmonisation of dangerous goods transport’s rules and practices to increase road safety, transport efficiency and protect the environment; responsibilities of the stakeholders; technical needs to comply with ADR requirements; and the importance of knowledge and skills in the carriage of dangerous goods by road.
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