The World Bank has approved $18.3m International Development Association (IDA) credit to the Government of Lesotho for the Lesotho Transport Infrastructure and Connectivity Project (LTIC) in Southern Africa.

The credit has been provided to improve transport infrastructure and connectivity project and will see the construction of 35 footbridges in the region.

According to the World Bank, more than 27,000 people from 19 isolated communities in five of Lesotho’s ten districts are set to benefit from the construction of footbridges.

They will connect the people to agriculture, job markets, and social services such as schools and hospitals.

Lesotho Minister of Public Works and Transport Lehlohonolo Moramotse said: “The footbridges are needed as they will help save the lives of Basotho and improve their access to crucial services.”

“The footbridges are needed as they will help save the lives of Basotho and improve their access to crucial services.”

The project is said to be in line with the government’s strategy to address road safety in an integrated manner.

Additionally, the government will be able to achieve its objective of meeting the United Nations Global Decade of Action for Road Safety target, which is to reduce road deaths by half between 2010 and 2020.

It will also support the government in establishing an integrated vehicle registration, driver licensing and traffic management information system, the Lesotho Integrated Transport Information System.

World Bank Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe country director Paul Noumba Um said: “The Lesotho Transport Infrastructure and Connectivity project is expected to improve access to services for communities in Lesotho where people are usually cut of due to heavy flooding and have to risk their lives to get to these services.

“Additionally, the project seeks to build capacity for the transport sector to deal with and manage road safety.”