PDTU & FAQ

Safe Way Right Way (SWRW) held the first professional driver graduation on 13^th November 2019, in an event that saw over 150 drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) graduate as professional drivers. The graduation ceremony held at Makerere University Business school is one of its kind in Uganda and was held to celebrate the Women and men who have taken part in the professional driver training in a move to enhance driving skills, increase employability and most especially make them advocates for safe driving. The event was also an opportunity to recognize the efforts of Safe Way Right Way and its partners and supporters in the move to professionalize Heavy Goods and Public Service Vehicle driving through the Professional Driver Training Uganda project (PDTU).

The graduates who included drivers and instructors were delighted by this achievement and the prospects and opportunities that this training presented.  Ms. Judith Nambuya, one of the trained drivers narrated her story of how she managed to save the lives of 2 people because of the first aid training skills she had obtained through the driver training and she continued to encourage women to join SWRW and start their training, because like her they could have a great career turnaround.

Our partners, Total Uganda Limited were represented by the Total Uganda Managing Director who is also the SWRW Board chair, Mr. Obi Imemba highlighted the need for strong partnerships “the challenge of road safety in Uganda is everyone’s responsibility because of the extent of the problem and the urgency it presents so I encourage individuals, companies, Civil Society and Government to continue in a concerted effort to make Uganda roads safer for all”. He also he continued to applaud the efforts of SWRW in engendering the previously male dominated profession by training and empowering women as professional drivers of HGV and hopes there will be more women drivers by the next graduation.

Mr. Sam Clark from Transaid, a UK charity Organisation that has been supporting SWRW in the driver training and quality assurance   stated that the 16 instructors that graduated were the only instructors equipped with the knowledge and expertise to train drivers according to the EAC standard and this is a great achievement for the PDTU project.

The Guest of Honour Hon. Aggrey Bagiire, State Minster for Transport was represented by the Commissioner of Transport, Mr. Winston Katushabe. He thanked the efforts of the partners and reechoed Government commitment towards the drive to safer roads and increasing employment opportunities prospects for Ugandans in the Oil and Gas Sector “The ministry of Works and Transport, is committed to continuing this partnership with Safe Way Right Way, Transaid and your implementing partners including GIZ, Total Uganda, Total Exploration and Production, Toyota Uganda, Bollore Logistics, Tullow Oil among others. To address the need for professional drivers in the Oil and Gas sector, to meet the gap of 1,800 HGV drivers”. He also applauded the drivers that were able to complete their training and have graduated, sending them out to be ambassadors of safe driving to reduce on the accidents that are happening regularly in Uganda and the whole region.

Mr. Eric Olanya the Country Director, Department of International Trade, British High Commission, stated that DFID was proud to be part of this achievement of having the first professional driver graduation, he thanked Transaid for sending out experts to train trainers and promised that DFID will continue to support the work of SWRW in professionalizing Heavy Goods and Public Service Vehicle driving.

SWRW was established in 2016 as a result of collaboration between the World Bank’s “Global Road Safety Partnerships” and Total SA to improve road safety on Africa’s roads economically critical corridors. It is funded by a number of private sector companies which include Total Uganda Limited, Total Exploration and Production, Toyota, Bollore Logistics, Tullow Oil, CNOOC, Hima Cement Ltd.