Earlier this month, Tatiana Mihailova of the Automobile Club of Moldova (ACM) travelled to Mongolia to support our local partners Global Shapers Ulaanbaatar Hub, and new NGO, UB Safe, in delivering road safety training to the Traffic Police Department of Mongolia.

The training aimed to equip officers with knowledge and practical tools for speed reduction and creating safer school zones, and strengthen institutional capacity for community policing and effective collaboration between law enforcement and civil society.

There is enormous value in proactive road safety enforcement, particularly when combined with community involvement and local public awareness campaigns. Positive policing also improves public awareness and respect for the work of the traffic police in enforcing road safety laws. Within the EASST region, Moldova has been especially successful in reforming traffic police approaches to road safety and the ACM has developed an extremely productive working relationship with the police that is mutually beneficial and supportive of their shared goals.

Therefore, as part of the final stage of our work in Ulaanbaatar to promote school zone safety, which is supported by the FIA Foundation, we sought to bring the traffic police together for a training initiative focused on positive enforcement around schools and strengthening police-community relationships.

Supported by a local police consultant from Mongolia, Tatiana shared her experiences from Moldova with over 30 participants, including police trainers, through a series of interactive sessions covering the Safe System Approach, speed management around schools, building relationships with civil society, and better communication.

The police officers were all highly engaged and committed throughout the day, actively contributing to discussions and exercises. A key recommendation coming from the training was the potential benefit of officially designating police personnel responsible for prevention and communications within the Road Traffic Police Department. This specialisation would ensure inter-departmental cooperation, sustained community engagement, and effective dissemination of safety information.

The momentum generated by this highly interactive and well-prepared training provides a strong foundation for the continued development of “Safer School Zones” projects in Mongolia.