Road Safety

SAIDIA ALI JEMMIL: THE PIONEER FEMALE BUS DRIVER TRAINEE

The international Labour Organisation has reported that jobs in the transport sector are among the most gendered in the world. It is undisputed that it even gets harder in developing countries where women mainly enjoy a limited role as a result of various societal barricades such as cultural stereotypes. This however did not stop Saidia Ali Jemmil from pursuing her career interests in the driving sector.

Saida’s driving journey started in 2006, after her failure to obtain a job following her graduation. She immediately pursued training and obtained her defensive driving qualification, which she used to obtain an internship at the district and later employment.

Her early career times at the district, Saidia engaged more in mechanics and later started driving and operating heavy vehicles such as bulldozers and caterpillars in excavation works. She later was transferred to ambulance driving, and now, she is attempting to master the bus driving skill.

Saidia says that her time as an ambulance driver was her most enjoyable. She recalls that a number of people were amazed by the idea of a woman driving an ambulance. For her part, the job was thrilling because of the sensitivity and importance it carried. She appreciated the fact that her fellow women’s lives and those of their babies depended on her efficiency which obligated her to execute her job maximumly.

**Saidia infighting the Bus during one of her practical trainings at the Safe Way Right Way Professional Driver Training School – Mukono.**

Her most outstanding experience was during an emergency situation that arose during one of her ambulance journeys. At that point, Saidia recalls that the patient required immediate attention if she was to make it to the hospital at all. Being a woman, and with some knowledge in antenatal care, she was forced to stop and conduct preliminary birth procedures on the patience, after which she was able to drive her safely to the nearest health centre.

I worked at Obongi health centre from 2013 to 2017 and my work with the ambulance has been the best experience. My highlight was when I helped a pregnant lady deliver twins at the back of the ambulance, n our way to the hospital.

Her driving career transcended mere employment and became a service to society. To date, people still offer gifts to her for her exceptional services in the driving sector especially, as an ambulance driver. From it, she has obtained numerous jobs offers. Saidia appreciates the role fellow women have played in creating safer transport systems in the country. She is aware, for a fact, that women drivers are the most cautious and responsible drivers on the roads.

In fact, she notes that given her driving record and reputation, bus passengers always thought out loud about their wish for her to enter bus driving business and guarantee them with safe journeys. Notably, she was further moved by the constant invitations that male bus drivers extended to her to join the sector.

**Saidia poses for a photo besides the Safe Way Right Way Training bus**

After she found out about the opportunity Safe Right Way offers to women to train for free, she quickly enrolled to train to drive the bus and is the first female bus driver Safe Way Right Way has trained and certified. She has realised her dream.
Saidia calls upon all the women out there hesitant about pursuing what they dearly dream of to have no second thoughts, especially in the driving sector.

Enhancing Road Safety through Education : The VIA training of trainers Initiative.

The VIA – Global Road Safety Education is a collaborative project supported by Total Energies, Michelin Corporate Foundation, Global Road Safety Partnerships, and Safe Way Right Way Uganda. For over two years Safe Way Right Way has spearheaded the implementation of this project to achieve a paradigm shift in Uganda’s road safety culture, particularly among young people between the ages of 8-18. Additionally, the Uganda police report (2022) revealed that 650 Children had died as a result of road crashes, 395 of the were male and 255 female.

*Safe Way Right Way Via educator with pupils in the Albertine region*.

The rationale behind focusing on young children is clear: they often lack adequate understanding of road safety upon starting school, possess limited risk awareness, and are susceptible to danger. It is more important because the children are the future citizens of an expectedly highly motorized Uganda, hence the immediate need to ensure behavioural change, if we are to create a crash free future.

Through the VIA project, Safe Way Right Way has reached 50,000 students and seen the establishment of 20 road safety clubs in schools through the 169 VIA educators that were trained as road safety trainers. The dedication and unwavering support of the 169 teachers from 138 schools in the Albertine region and Kampala have built a strong and sustainable model foundation for the project implementation.

“Safe Way Right Way has reached 50,000 students and seen the establishment of 20 road safety clubs in schools through the 169 VIA educators that were trained as road safety trainers”

Following the 2 years implementation of the project, SWRW organized a refresher training in the Albertine Districts of Hoima, Kikuube, Buliisa, Nwoya, Pakwach, and Hoima City . This training lasted for a week, covering various aspects crucial to enhancing road safety education.

*Safe Way Right Way Via Educators refresher training* in Hoima city.

*Some of the Via Educators sharing a photo moment with Safe Way Right Way Staff*

The training sessions commenced in Hoima district on January 29, 2024, followed by Kikuube, Buliisa, Pakwach, and Nwoya districts on subsequent days. The trainingworkshops were facilitated by SWRW staff and they included sessions on road signs, markings, urban traffic guidelines, general traffic rules, and necessary precautions. a presentation on road assessment findings shed light on prevalent risks, such as poorly designed roads, missing signage, and increased traffic in the Albertine region. During these sessions, stakeholders expressed their appreciation for the project’s efforts and provided valuable feedback for improvement.

In Hoima district, Ms. Asiimwe Harriet, the inspector of schools, commended Safe Way Right Way for targeting children in road safety initiatives and urged continued implementation with a focus on addressing reporting issues. In Pakwach district, Mr. Comixx praised the project’s impact and urged its extension to more schools, suggesting more approaches like installing talking compounds to reinforce road safety messages.

*Hoima Inspector of schools, Ms.Asiimwe, speaking at the refresher training in Hoima City.*

Mr.Comixx addressing the Via Refresher trainees in Pakwach District.

The VIA educators highlighted various challenges, including the lack of respect from motorists for safety measures like flags/lollipops used by teachers to help the pupils cross the roads, limited time for project implementation due to conflicting schedules, and disruptions caused by teacher transfers.

In conclusion, Safe Way Right Way views road safety education as a crucial step in enhancing road safety especially among young people. With over 1.3 million road fatalities recorded annually worldwide, predominantly in low-income countries, proactive education initiatives like VIA are essential. (WHO 2023)

SAFE WAY RIGHT WAY INTERVERNES AT UGANDA SOCIETY OF THE DEAF

Road Safety is now an international growing concern as road crashes are now taken among the first five causes of death globally. It follows that low and middle-income countries share this burden unproportionally as compared to their counterparts but worse still, is the egregious fact that minority groups such as the disabled bare an unproportionally higher burden even in the vulnerable countries.

At Safe Way Right Way, we have made it crystal clear that inclusivity is a bedrock principle for Safe Way Right Way, underscoring our works and interventions. This is not merely an obligatory escapade; rather, we appreciate that transportation is an inescapable part of our lives, entailing associated risks.

In our ongoing effort to create safer roads, Safe Way Right Way, as part of the VIA – the road safety project targeting school going children conducted road safety awareness sessions at the Uganda Society of the Deaf in Namirembe. SWRW cognizant of the unique challenges the pupils who have hearing impairments face, partnered with the school to implement the interventions on road safety. The enthusiasm of the learners and the teachers to learn and share experiences on road safety was a sight to behold – they appreciated the need to use the road responsibly. Road safety, a widely dualistic categorization between motorists and pedestrians, unfortunately tends to overlook other vulnerable groups like children and persons with disabilities.

Persons with hearing impairments, and indeed other disability categories, occupy a unique position, especially in contemporary times when developing countries embark on their road safety behavioral changes. The interaction with the students revealed their depth of understanding of road safety risks, distractions, proper pedestrian behaviour including annual road fatality rates worldwide and in Uganda, information they had obtained from the road safety trainers SWRW trained. The pupils expressed concerns about the heightened risks they face as pedestrians and cyclists with hearing impairment and appreciated SWRW for providing reflector jackets that will make them visible and easily identifiable by other road users.

We are confident that this intervention aligns with the theme of this year’s International Week of the Deaf: “A world where deaf people can sign anywhere.” Recognizing that signing requires acknowledgment, these jackets contribute to the foundational language goal.

During the handover ceremony, Rodgers, a student, remarked, “The reflector vests will make us visible on the road. Being seen clearly by drivers ensures our safety.” jackets” Jamila added that the jackets would be crucial at night, especially during intense traffic, aiding drivers in identifying individuals. This holds particular importance for pedestrians with hearing impairments.

Isaac Lukyamuzi their teacher appreciated Safe Way Right Way’s gesture, noting its timeliness as the students were breaking off for holidays. Emphasizing the importance of treating individuals with disabilities equitably in road safety, he highlighted the significance of providing services that ensure their safety without added concerns.

Road safety is a huge challenge in Uganda more so for people with disabilities, the traffic and road safety act has disability inclusive provisions but it has not really taken effect. The government should be intentional about interventions that address the plight of people living with disabilities. There is also need to sensitize the public to take responsibility, exercise caution, and improve road user behaviour,road habits, especially with students returning from school. The duty owed by drivers to pedestrians is high, but it’s even higher towards children and persons with disabilities. The reflector jackets, we argue, equip road users with an additional means to fulfil their duty as we collectively strive for safer roads in Africa.

TRAINING WOMEN TRUCK DRIVERS FOR CHANGE : PHIONA KIBERU’S STORY

At Safe Way Right Way, our efforts are directed towards nurturing road safety cautious professional drivers generation with clinical regard to gender equality in the transport sector.

In an industry greatly dominated by male drivers, Safe Way Right Way has amplified women driver skills by offering free professional driver training to women drivers in Heavy Goods Vehicles and Buses, at our Mukono Professional Driver Training Centre.

Today, we bring to your Ms.Kiberu Phiona, a beneficiary of the above named facility and how it has catapulted her to considerable career heights to rank just among the best that there is.

Background

Ms. Kiberu Phiona, a 45-year-old mother of 2 with now over 15 years’ experience in the driving profession was one of our beneficiary students in our 2021 driver training cohort.

In a 2021 interview with the Training Centre Manager of the Safe Way Right Way Professional Driver Training School, Mr. Isaiah Ngabirano, Ms. Kiberu retorted that she developed a love for driving from a young age and admired people that used to drive. Against all odds, she was aggressively deliberate about turning driving into her career, She said, “For a long time, I have always wanted to do men’s jobs and most especially driving”.

Phiona’s dream and its becoming weren’t an offer on a silver platter, she recalled that the community had made her believe that truck driving belongs to men and them alone, but that just turned out to not be true and this is because currently there are fewer men who could stand to be ranked equally as Phiona is. And how is that for a change of the narrative, huh!

Contemporary Times

Phiona Kiberu had done so many different driving jobs. She was the first Woman to drive Uber in Uganda, and she went ahead to start her own company, Allena tour and travel, albeit truck driving retained a special place in her heart. And when a friend miraculously referred her to Safe Way Right Way, her life and career took a turn.

About her experience with our team at Mukono, Phiona said “Safe Way Right Way has the best instructors in the country, they are very professional and knowledgeable about driving and what drivers go through. This is a rare opportunity for all the women out there and they should take part in this”

Ms.Kiberu has since joined the transportation department at Hima Cement (La Farge ) group Uganda where she has risen through the ranks to become a top performing woman driver at the entity. She cautiously, efficiently and professionally drives Heavy Goods vehicles for hundreds of kilometres as her contribution to her employer and to the country at large.

Phiona has been awarded by Hima Cement (Larfarge Group) as the best female truck driver at the company. Safe Way Right Way too, was awarded in recognition for championing the Women on Wheels that has nurtured female drivers in the developing Ugandan Market.

All in All.

You too, can realise your dream! Be sure to get in touch with the Safe Way Right Way Professional Driver Training School-Mukono.

Safe Way Right Way is committed to the professionalising of driving in Uganda and in the region at large through providing quality training based on the East African Standardised Curriculum.

This training is made possible by Safe Way Right Way and its private sector partners, TotalEnergies MS Uganda Ltd, Total E&P Uganda Ltd CFAO Motors, AGL, GP Advocates,The Motor Center East Africa , Reef Industries.

Professional Driver Training Uganda (PDTU)

The Professional Driver Training Uganda (PDTU) Project by Safe Way Right Way (SWRW)
is here to see to it that you benefit the most from your driving career while keeping other road
users simultaneously safe. This project which commenced in 2017 has hitherto aimed at
building capacity for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and Passenger Service Vehicles drivers
through subsidised HGV Driving Training.

Safe Way Right Way (SWRW) through this project seeks to both nurture a unique generation
of road safety cautious professional drivers ready to tap into the Professional commercial
Driving market in the oil and gas infrastructure projects that will be the result of oil extraction
in the Albertine region by 2025.

Our training ranges from Medium Trick driving (C), Heavy Truck Driving (CE) and Bus
Driving (DE) licences under the strict observance of the East African Community
Standardised Curriculum. All this action takes place from our spacious and well equipped
training School at Mukono.

SWRW is (has been) very keen to change the narrative in the transportation industry by
empowering women drivers as a measure for implementing gender inclusivity. We have so
far trained a total number of 1551 drivers out of which 131 are women. There is a record of
success stories and testimonies to the amplification that this training has had on several
Drivers’ careers.

This, therefore, is a clarion call to the drivers interested in Heavy Goods Vehicle Training to
secure their admission into one of our intake so that you get to be part of a Road Safety
cautious generation that is being prepared to be the drivers of the region into prosperity.
For more information, please contact 256-702-745-745 or reach us through any of our social media
channels.

Safe Way Right Way Conducts a Training of Trainers for Boda Boda cyclists

Motorcycle taxis or the commonly referred to as boda bodas have become one of the more popular transport means in Uganda and particularly in Kampala because they are versatile and flexible; they are able to beat the ever-increasing traffic jam and get people and goods anywhere in time. However, this comes with tremendous challenges as the number of motorcycles on our roads are increasing daily. Since the first citation of motorcycle taxis in Uganda in 1980, the country has gone on to register more than one million motorcycles and regulating them has continued to be a challenge for the regulatory institutions.

According to the Annual Crime Report 2020, 3,663 people died on our roads and out of these 1,486 were Boda Boda riders and Boda boda passengers; making them the second vulnerable road users after pedestrians. In 2020 alone, Kampala Metropolitan South registered 1,955 road crashes and of these 220 were fatal hence the rationale to start the training in this region. Among the reasons for these crashes is inadequate training and awareness; “Sometimes we are held for committing traffic offences that we do not know were offences” says one boda boda cyclist.

In order to increase road safety knowledge and accountability among these important but at-risk service providers, Safe Way Right Way has introduced a phased training approach that aspires to have a trickle-down effect in the community starting with a Training of Trainers of 22 Road Safety Champions from Kampala Metropolitan South. The selected Champions are leaders in the boda boda community who will ably deliver short peer to peer training with support from Safe Way Right Way regularly to tackle the most pressing issues that can mitigate crashes such as speeding, road signs & highway code, use of safety helmet, use of drugs and narcotics, fatigue, carrying loads and customer care among others.

The training was officially opened by Salongo Rogers Nsereko SP, the Deputy Police Commander Kampala Metropolitan who provided an overview of the road safety situation in Kampala and pledged his support to move the training program forward.

The Training of Trainers was carried out by an industry expert trainer Mr Paul Kwamusi of Integrated Transport Systems who stressed the need for training for all road users particularly those that are considered high risk “a boda boda is a silent killer in Uganda. People who die in boda boda accidents are never broadcast in the news but when you visit causality wards of most of the hospitals in Uganda, you will understand how much people are suffering as a result of boda boda related crashes”

The training model is such that the 22 individuals who have been imparted with training skills and content proceed to train their colleagues through short weekly sessions at their boda stations and later on within their communities with the support of Safe Way Right Way and Traffic Police. Although this is a new approach according to the trainees, they are happy to embrace it and are positive about the possible outcome. “Although I did not get a lot of formal education, I have managed to get many leadership roles among my community and the ones I lead trust and respect me irrespective of their level of education. The training we have got is very important and I look forward to sharing this knowledge with my fellow boda boda riders” said Muyimbwa Latiff, the Chairman Boda Boda Association, Industrial Area.

The training was part of the activities to commemorate the United Nations Global Road Safety Week under the theme Streets for Life. This year the emphasis was put on the need to reduce the speed to 30km/hr in built-up areas so as to reduce or stop crashes.

Safe Way Right Way’s activities are supported by its Industry Partners Total Uganda Limited, Total E&P Uganda, Bollore Transport and Logistics Uganda, Toyota Uganda, and the Motorcentre East Africa.

Covid-19 prevention support to be provided to over 10,000 truck drivers

“Today is a milestone for us here at Safe Way Right Way…….as we flag off an emergency response project that will provide Covid 19 prevention packages to heavy Goods Vehicle drivers in the border districts” announced Mr. Oliver Wells, the Managing Director of Bollore Transport and Logistics in his opening remarks on behalf of the Safe Way Right Board of Directors on 12^th August 2020.

The “Covid-19 Prevention for Heavy Goods Vehicle Drivers” project launch that was co-hosted by Total Uganda Limited is aimed at curbing the infection rate of the novel corona virus among truck drivers. Truck drivers in Uganda have been met with unprecedented challenges since the pandemic. It is reported that over 60% of positive cases are of drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles and as such have been met with hostility from other Ugandans which has left the drivers stigmatised, demotivated and have at times felt unsafe.

The call by citizens to stop truck drivers from entering the country cannot be effected because the effects of such a move would be extremely devastating due to the economic value of the exports and imports in the sector. To reduce the risk that the truck drivers are posing to the community “the Government has continued to work around the clock to ensure that the risk of infection and spread of Covid-19 within and outside cargo drivers is minimised …….I therefore thank Safe Way Right Way for coming out to support the Government in the effort to prevent infection among truck drivers” said Engineer Benon Kajuna who presided over the event representing the Minister of Works and Transport.

“Road transport continues to be the most important mode of transportation in Uganda as it carries more than 90% of freight cargo hence vital for delivery of essential foods, medicines among others” Said the CEO Safe Way Right Way Mr. Peter Tibigambwa. Owing to this, several partners swung into action particularly the Employment for Development Programme with support from the German and Norwegian Governments. To comment about the support provided for the project, the Deputy Head of Cooperation, German Embassy said “Truck drivers are exposed to the virus more than other people and can be a cause of the further spread of the disease into the country. In addition, the enforced lockdown measures makes it hard for drivers to find proper accommodation, let alone proper washing facilities. Against this background, I am happy that we are funding this highly appreciated campaign to support truck drivers in their daily business and to protect them against the virus. This campaign, will help reduce transmission rates and will also help restore confidence in the safety of the transport sector.

The project aims at reaching 3500 drivers directly through the provision of prevention information materials both in audio, video and printed formats, face masks, soap, and jerricans. Through radio and social media platforms, the messages are envisaged to reach over 10,000 truck drivers from all over the country and beyond. The project is directly targeting truck drivers at the border districts of Busia, Malaba, Mutukula, Elegu and Pakwach.”

The CEO Safe Way Right Way adds that “providing Covid 19 prevention support to truck drivers is not a stand-alone initiative for Safe Way Right Way. The organisation has been providing professional Driver training to drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles since 2018 in an effort to promote road safety on Uganda’s roads. So far trained over 200 drivers.”

The much needed covid 19 prevention project for truck drivers is being implemented in partnership with Transaid, a UK based transport charity, Uganda Professional Drivers Network (UPDN) and the Amalgmated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU) who have been very instrumental in the project design and coordination with the drivers particularly UPDN and ATGWU.

Appreciation also goes to Safe Way Right Way Private Sector Partners and Board Members; Total, Bollore Tranposrt and Logistics, Tullow Oil, GP Advocates and Toyota Uganda