Background
Road infrastructure safety assessment is a technical function within transport governance because road design, surface conditions, intersections, roadside hazards, and user facilities directly affect crash risk. Road safety audits use structured inspections to identify infrastructure conditions that can increase crash risk for road users. The iRAP Star Rating method scores roads from one to five stars based on road conditions and safety-related design features.
For Cambodia, road safety assessment is linked to the work of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which oversees public works and transport infrastructure functions. A star-rating approach gives technical agencies a standardized way to compare road safety conditions across different road sections and to identify where infrastructure improvements may be required.
The training also connects Cambodia’s road infrastructure work with global road safety performance targets adopted by United Nations member states on 21 November 2017. Those targets include a 2030 objective for all newly constructed roads to achieve a three-star rating or better, and a separate 2030 objective for more than 75 percent of road travel to take place on roads rated three stars or better.
Key Developments
On 29 April 2026, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport opened a training course on “Road Safety Risk Audit Techniques Using iRAP Star Ratings” at the ministry. The opening ceremony was presided over by Minister Peng Ponea.
The ministry stated that the course was organized with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank. Yasmin Siddiqi, the Asian Development Bank’s country director for Cambodia, attended the opening together with ministry leaders, trainers, and civil servants.
Institutional Role
The training was designed to improve the technical understanding of MPWT officials regarding the International Road Assessment Programme, known as iRAP. According to the ministry, the course aimed to enable specialized units to conduct audits of road infrastructure and assign star ratings from one to five based on the condition and characteristics of each road.
Capacity building in road safety auditing supports the ministry’s ability to apply consistent technical criteria when reviewing road infrastructure. It also provides a common assessment language for government agencies and development partners involved in transport infrastructure planning and improvement.
Operational Implications
The immediate operational relevance of the course is the development of officials’ ability to apply iRAP Star Rating procedures during road safety risk audits. Such assessments can support decisions about road design review, infrastructure upgrading, and prioritization of safety-related interventions.
The ministry linked the training to Cambodia’s contribution to global road safety objectives. By training technical officials in a recognized assessment method, MPWT is building institutional capacity to measure road safety conditions against star-rating benchmarks used in international road safety practice.
