Child safety on the roads remains a major issue in Kyrgyzstan, Road Safety NGO told 24-kg.com news agency.
According to the organization, the statistics have remained virtually unchanged over the past decade: more than 2,000 children are injured and more than 100 children die on roads across the country every year, including near schools.
Road Safety cited the example of a school in the village of Budyonovka in Issyk-Ata district: on April 24, 2025, a sixth-grade student was hit by a car while crossing the road near the school, resulting in injuries. According to eyewitnesses and teachers, three accidents have occurred in the area around this school since February 2025.
The school in Budyonovka received only one star in an infrastructure study conducted using iRAP (International Road Assessment Programme) methodology, indicating a low level of school safety. A survey conducted jointly with a State Traffic Safety Department inspector revealed the following:
- no sidewalk;
- poor lighting;
- no «Caution, Children!» signs;
- on the main (high-speed) road (Lenin Street), the pedestrian crossing lines have faded. Moreover, 50 percent of students cross this dangerous road;
- on Chapayev Street, speed bumps are installed not according to state standards.
In a survey asking: «Do you feel safe walking near the school?» nearly one in ten students said they did not feel safe.
Teachers expressed even greater concern about student road safety than parents, especially for younger children.
With the support of partners from the Road Safety NGO, specialists developed recommendations for improving student safety and speed management in this area.
As a result, the following infrastructure improvements were implemented by September 1, 2025:
- a pedestrian-activated traffic light was installed on Lenin Street;
- a pedestrian crossing marking was applied on the main road;
- a pedestrian walkway marking was added on the secondary street (Chapaev Street);
- warning signs «Caution, children!» and «Pedestrian crossing» were installed.
After the upgrades, the school zone on Lenin Street received a 3.5-star rating according to the iRAP methodology.
