Regatu
Solomon

Project: Safe cycling program

Currently, Regatu is working as a team leader of Public and Non-Motorised Transport in the Addis Ababa Transport Bureau. She also worked as traffic management staff in the same office before becoming team leader. She has been engaged in coordinating and participating in different projects that are related to non-motorised transport system including: the safe-cycling project for Addis; construction of cycling training grounds; NMT strategy and implementation; study and design of cycle networks; in addition to making design reviews to include proper cycle lanes for the newly designed roads. She also served in different public and private organisations as project coordinator, assistant highway engineer and office engineer.

She strives for continued excellence, with an MSc in Road and Transport Engineering and a BSc in Civil Engineering. Having the ability to work long hours with great concentration, she loves to challenge herself with new experiences. She is passionate about her job and wants to achieve a successful career.

PROJECT

I am leading the safe cycling program in Addis Ababa to promote cycling as a mode of transport in addition to pedestrian and public transport projects, which are essential to combating climate change in Addis Ababa. The design and construction of cycle lanes; awareness creation for the community; capacity building for different stakeholders; preparing different guidelines and policy documents are just some of the areas that we have planned to work on this year. One of the objectives of the non-motorised strategy of Addis Ababa developed by our office is to improve air quality in order to meet WHO ambient air quality norms 350 days a year. I hope the mentorship programme will enhance my knowledge and skills to influence political leaders and decision-makers to introduce non-motorised transport modes in the city to combat climate change.

MOTIVATION FOR AND COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLANET

Since transport sector is one of the major sources of global emissions, I am striving for the successful establishment of non-motorizsed transport systems and public transport system in the city of Addis Ababa, to shift to more sustainable modes of transport. Together with my team, we are working on developing policy documents to encourage cycle users in addition to increasing a modal shift from personal motor vehicle to public and non-motorised transport modes.

H.E. Dagmawit Moges Bekele

Minister of Transport, Ethiopia

H.E. Dagmawit Moges Bekele was appointed as Minister of Transport of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in October 2018. After studying for her BA in Public Administration and Development Management (PADM), she worked as a Graduate Assistant Lecturer at Addis Ababa University (AAU). She acquired her MA in Public Management and Policy (MPMP) from the same department and university. She worked as a General Manager of Kolfe Keraneyo Sub-City of A.A City Government and then served as Micro and Small Enterprises Development Bureau Head of A.A city Government. Subsequently she worked as a Deputy Bureau head of Addis Ababa City Government Trade and Industry Bureau then a Deputy Bureau head of Addis Ababa City Government Capacity Building Bureau.

Before her current post she has served as a deputy Mayor and communication’s Affairs bureau head of Addis Ababa City Government, Cabinet member of the City Government and Board Chairperson of Addis Ababa Mass Media Agency Board. H.E. Dagmawit Moger is a cabinet member of FDRE and a Member of the House of People’s Representatives of Ethiopia (HoPRE). She is a Board chairperson of Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA), Woldiya University and Ethiopian Postal service Enterprise. She is also a Board member of Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Petroleum Enterprise, Investment board member and Public Private Partnership (PPP) board member.

Jiregna Hirpa Debelo

Jiregna Hirpa Debelo is a General Director of Addis Ababa Traffic Management Agency. He studied and received his first degree in civil engineering from Arba Minch University and his second degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in Transportation Engineering. Before he took his current role Jiregna worked as a lecturer at Dire Dawa University, served as a head of civil engineering and architecture department for two years and he also worked as a professional engineer for about two years on different civil projects.

For the last 5 years, Jiregna has been playing a key leadership and professional role in road safety and mobility improvement in the city of Addis Ababa. As a secretary of Addis Ababa road safety council, he has been leading the implementation of Addis Ababa road safety strategy since its launch in 2017. The strategy is being implemented through collaboration and integration of different stakeholders in the city.

Under his leadership the city witnessed improvement in road safety particularly for the vulnerable road users by the works undertaken on pedestrian facilities improvement and provisions, making intersections safe for all road users, provisions of citywide road use rules, speed management programs by speed calming measures and over-speeding enforcement, drink and drive control and other risk factors. Jiregna is leading the improvement of mobility in the city particularly for the mass transport by providing dedicated by bus lanes, removing bottlenecks, expanding no-parking zones, strengthening the traffic enforcement, improving accessibility and connectivity along the roads and expanding the use of technologies such as traffic signals for the traffic management. His role is also paramount in initiation and implementation of cycle lane pilot project in the of Addis Ababa.

Dr Lucy Mahoney

Walking and Cycling Network Manager at C40 Cities

Dr Lucy Mahoney manages the Walking and Cycling Network at C40. In her role Lucy supports cities to increase the share of trips taken by healthy, safe and carbon-free mobility options, and advises on how to ensure that walking and cycling policies and programmes are adapted for climate breakdown and are resilient during extreme weather events.

Lucy’s expertise helps cities envision a future where walking and cycling are accessible mobility options for all citizens, where city spaces are transformed through people-friendly planning policy, and where city-wide rates of active travel are increased. Enhancing walking and cycling initiatives and policies has the potential to boost mental and physical health, safety and social equity, and improve the city’s air and noise quality while generating no emissions. Lucy has previously led the Mobility Management Network at C40.

Lucy’s professional background is in strategy and policy and prior to joining C40, Lucy worked for Transport for London (TfL) across numerous mobility fields including public transport strategy, road danger reduction, roads strategy and freight, and air quality and the environment.

Before TfL, Lucy read Geography and the Environment for her D.Phil. at the University of Oxford. She was based in the Oxford University Centre for the Environment jointly within the Transport Studies Unit (TSU) and the Environmental Change Institute (ECI). Her academic research empirically and theoretically focused on the interrelations between society and the environment. Her research interests include: the geographies of wellbeing, behavioural science, active and sustainable mobilities and the interconnections between cities, society and place.

Regatu
Solomon

HER MENTOR

H.E. Dagmawit Moges Bekele

Her mentor

Jiregna Hirpa Debelo

Her Mentor

Dr Lucy Mahoney

Related profiles

Betelhem Mengistu Eshete

Aynalem Geite Gismie

Fantu Kifle G/meskel

Makeda Mulushewa

Hiwot Damtew

Mahlet Desalegn Mezmur

Meseret Habtamu Cheru

Nura Mohammedata Beshir

Salem Gulilat Tilahun

Lidya Tesfaye Ayalew

Hirut Jifara Abdi

Yididiya Damtew

Shewanesh Wendimu Gemeda

Makda Dejene

Ejigayehu Shiferaw

Filagot Tesfaye

Regatu Solomon

HER MENTOR

H.E. Dagmawit Moges Bekele

Her mentor

Jiregna Hirpa Debelo

Her Mentor

Dr Lucy Mahoney

Related profiles

Betelhem Mengistu Eshete

Aynalem Geite Gismie

Fantu Kifle G/meskel

Makeda Mulushewa

Hiwot Damtew

Mahlet Desalegn Mezmur

Meseret Habtamu Cheru

Nura Mohammedata Beshir

Salem Gulilat Tilahun

Lidya Tesfaye Ayalew

Hirut Jifara Abdi

Yididiya Damtew

Shewanesh Wendimu Gemeda

Makda Dejene

Ejigayehu Shiferaw

Filagot Tesfaye

Regatu
Solomon