Vivo Energy trains boda boda cyclists on road safety

Vivo Energy, the company that distributes and markets Shell branded fuels and lubricants in 16 African countries, will hold road safety training for boda boda cyclists in the districts of Mukono, Wakiso, Entebbe, Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale and Kasese.

According to the Uganda Police, over 50 percent of road accidents are caused due boda bodas, with the highest numbers registered in urban centres like Kampala. In 2013 alone, 20, 837 people were killed in boda boda accidents in Uganda with 12, 754 serious injuries and 1,592 slight injuries.


The training that has already been completed in the districts of Lira, Busia and Mbale aims to increase road safety awareness and commitment among Boda Boda cyclists, and to help change their attitude and behaviour on the road, thereby indoctrinating a road safety culture among them.

The training programme conducted at Shell Mukono saw 100 boda boda cyclists receive training on road safety practices and measures that will help keep them, their passengers and other road users safe on the road.
 
Speaking during the training at Shell Mukono, Cerinah Zalwango, Corporate Communications Manager, Vivo Energy Uganda, implored the boda boda cyclists to uphold safe practices and measures while using the road to ensure their own safety and that of their passengers. She encouraged them to utilize safety gear like helmets, reflector jackets that help protect them from the dangers they face on the road daily.

The boda boda Association chairman Mukono District thanked Vivo Energy Uganda for their effort and contribution towards providing boda boda riders with training on practices and measures that will help keep them safe on the road.

 "We operate our businesses solely on the road and constantly encounter dangerous situations that put our lives and those of our customers at risk, making it critical for us to be aware of issues related to road safety," he said.

The Road Safety Education Programme which was launched on March 13, 2014, as part of the company’s corporate social investment programme has since trained a total of 1,200 school children from 12 schools in Kampala and will train a total of 1,200 Boda Boda operators, on proper road safety behavior.

It is also aimed at reaching at least five million people with road safety messages on radio and is being implemented in partnership with the Safe Kids Uganda, Uganda Police, Integrated Transport Systems, and the media.

At Vivo Energy Uganda, we consider the unique needs of our motorcycle customers and are committed to initiating, establishing and supporting projects and programmes that meet their needs and recently commissioned customized service Points at selected Shell Service Stations – Shell Boda Spots that will offer motorcyclists exclusive services and adequate attention with a special lubricant - Shell Advance, the new lubricating oil designed by Shell specifically for servicing motorbikes.