3. Decentralization and its impact on road traffic safety in Macedonia

1. DECENTRALIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETYIN MACEDONIAProf. Zoran Sapuric, PhD, University American College Skopje, & RSBSPProf.Mile Dimitrovski, PhDUniversity of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje & RSBSP

2. -Macedonia since 2001 has started the preparations for the process of decentralization.- Decentralization is a complex process of transferring the competencies from central to local level.It brings decision making process closer to the citizens, which understands the change of the relationships among levels of government .The aim of this paper is to light and analyze the current process of decentralization in the Republic Macedonia, from legal point of view and to give the proposals and recommendations for the further activities of the decentralization in the area of road traffic safety.

3. The research during the preparation of this paper it covers analysis of the legislation in the Republic of Macedonia in the area of road traffic safety and the legislation which regulates other areas which affects the road traffic safety. Also it was analyzed the statistical data and there were performed the interviews with the 90 responsible individuals which are involved in the road traffic safety issues. Also it was performed the SWOT analysis which detect the strong and weak points and the opportunities and threats relating to the roads traffic safety on the local level.

4. The decentralization has crucial importance for more effective and efficient performance of local public services .One of the important areas of the process of decentralization is the area of road traffic safety. According to the legal regulation in Macedonia the local government units (city of Skopje and municipalities), have a very important function to provide road safety on their territory, especially on the streets and on local roads.

5. LEGAL FRAMEWORKThe legal framework is very important for successfully and effectively performance of decentralisation as whole and in the framework of this in road traffic safety. There are a number of laws which affect directly and indirectly decentralisation in the area of road safety. The decentralisation produces a bigger responsibility of municipalities for the road traffic safety on the streets and local roads.

6. the Law on local self government determines the competencies of municipalities such as : urban and rural spatial planning; issuing building licences for the local importance; local development; arranging the local space; protection of the environment and nature; performing of local public utilities and services; primary and secondary education; arranging and organising local public transport; construction, maintenance and reconstruction on local roads, streets and other infrastructure objects; regulation the regime of traffic on the streets and local roads; construction and maintenance of streets traffic signalisations; construction and maintains of the public parking space; removing of improperly parked vehicles and of wrecked vehicles from public spaces and setting, replacement, removal and maintenance of traffic signs and safety equipment on local roads and streets. This clearly shows the complexity of municipalities’ competencies in the area of road traffic safety on local roads and streets. It increases the functions and responsibility of municipalities for the situation of road safety on their territory. Taking account that the drivers participate in traffic on local roads and streets almost daily, the responsibility of the municipalities become bigger.

7. Taking account that the drivers participate in traffic on local roads and streets almost daily, the responsibility of the municipalities become bigger The State Council on Road Traffic Safety in the last two years has been making the strong efforts to encourage the municipalities to establish the local road traffic safety councils. This activity gives some positive results and nowadays there are established local road traffic safety councils in 35 municipalities.In the future the State Council on Road Traffic Safety will continue with the activities in aim to encourage the rest number of the municipalities and city of Skopje to establish these councils. It will contribute to the improvement the conditions in the area on local traffic safety.

8. In the future the State Council on Road Traffic Safety will continue with the activities in aim to encourage the rest number of the municipalities and city of Skopje to establish these councils. It will contribute to the improvement the conditions in the area on local traffic safety.

9. THE FUTURE CHALLENGE OF THE DECENTRALIZATION ON ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETYThe process of decentralization as a set of complex measures and activities is a very dynamic process. It produces the crucial reforms in the structure of the economic, social, legal and political system of the country. This produces much bigger responsibilities and competencies of the municipalities. It relates to the direct competencies and functions on the local road traffic safety, but also to the numerous of the other functions which are closely related with the road safety. The most recently the municipalities had undertaken the responsibilities for the operation of fire protections service, which very often is related with the road traffic safety issues, especially by the assistance in the case of traffic accidents. Also the numerous of the other competencies of the municipalities significantly affect the road traffic safety on the streets and local roads

10. Since 2001 Macedonia has been performing the intensive process of the decentralisation by transferring the competencies from central level to the local level, i.e municipalities and a city of Skopje, as a separate unit of local self government. One of the important areas is the area of road traffic safety which means the increasing the responsibilities of the municipalities for the conditions on road traffic safety on the streets and local roads. That process has to continue and the municipalities have to intensive the activities in the complex area of road traffic safety.State Council on Road Traffic Safety as umbrella institutions in the field on read traffic safety will continue with the activities in aim to support and encourage the municipalities in their efforts to improve road traffic safety on the local level. The rapidly development of technologies such as smart phones, development of internment, audio and video equipments that are used from the all traffic users produces a need for the activities of the municipalities in the area of driving under destructions. Those will one the biggest challenge in this area. Besides the numerous of obstacles and threats the SWOT analysis clearly shows that there are the future potentials for successfully performing the activities in road traffic safety on local level

11. In the context of above mention discussion it is possible to give some recommendations:-to continue with the activities of decentralisation in the sphere of road traffic safety on local level;-to improve the mutual cooperation between the municipalities;-to strengthening the efforts of the municipalities for the improvement the condition on the quality of the streets and local level and for the improvement the road environment as an essential condition for providing the traffic road safety;-to encourage the activities for the cooperation of the local institutions with the nongovernmental sector, business sector and all involved stake holders.-to begin with the scientific researchers from different aspects and establish cooperation between the municipalities and science.