First Kyrgyzstan SR4S school upgraded, supported by EASST, auto club, and the FIA Foundation

The Kyrgyz Republic has taken a major step forward in road safety with the first infrastructure upgrades using Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) implemented by the Public Association ‘Road Safety’ (PARS) in collaboration with the Federation of Auto Motorsport and Road Safety of the Kyrgyz Republic (FAMS), supported by EASST and the FIA Foundation.

The Budenovka school, a village school in the Chuy region, serving nearly 1,000 students aged 6 to 17, was selected for road safety upgrades following a SR4S assessment, input from local police, and a site inspection. The school zone initially received a 1-star rating due to high speeds and poor infrastructure, including a lack of pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, signage, and lighting. Students have to cross a nearby highway with a 60 km/h speed limit and no traffic calming to reach school. In February 2025, three crashes were reported along this stretch of road alone. Surveys and interviews with students, parents, and teachers revealed serious concerns about speed, with four in five parents saying they worried about their child’s safety.

PARS and local authorities developed improved road infrastructure designs, guided by SR4S, to address safety and speed management, including 30km/h speed limits and a signalised pedestrian crossing on the main highway, and a new zebra crossing, traffic signage, and 30km/h speed limit on the road adjacent to the school. Post-implementation, the highway achieved a 3.5-star rating. Following the installation of the upgrades, students participated in sessions to learn how to use the infrastructure. Local authorities have welcomed the improvements and invited further upgrades and projects in the village.

Speaking at the launch event, Mirgul Kaidulatova, the school’s director, welcomed the changes and highlighted the positive feedback from residents: “I am so glad that the light was installed. Not only me, but my students, parents, our staff – all are very grateful. Because our school is situated on a main road with high speeds, it was unsafe and there were many dangerous situations… It is safe now not only for our schoolchildren, but all pedestrians and even for drivers. It was a big benefit.” 

Emil Nurbekov, speaking on behalf of FAMS, added: “This is a necessary programme and it needs to be widened further. It gives an opportunity for schools to solve road safety problems, which is especially needed in countries with low levels of social support from the state. Each prevented crash is already a great achievement of the programme.”

The project has also been key in providing local stakeholders with hands-on experience in designing and implementing best practice approaches to road safety infrastructure. This work aligns with ongoing advocacy efforts led by PARS and the Republican Traffic Police to introduce 30 km/h speed zones near schools nationwide, as well as Kyrgyzstan’s national road safety goals to improve road infrastructure and design. 

Chinara Kasmambetova, PARS Director, said: “We have been working on speed reduction near schools for two to three years. Last year, we managed to implement speed limit reductions to 30 km/h near 163 schools nationwide, thanks to the assistance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Transport of the Kyrgyz Republic. The new crossing and infrastructural improvements on the expressway in Budenovka are the next phase in demonstrating how speed management infrastructure can support speed limit reductions around schools and guide safer driver behaviour – contributing to the preservation of health and life of children and pedestrians – and aligning with the National Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic on road safety.”

The project aims to set a new national standard for infrastructure to improve school zone safety across Kyrgyzstan, protecting lives and creating safer journeys for children.