Vivo Energy Ghana, the oil marketing company behind the esteemed Shell brand in Ghana, has been highly commended by both the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) for championing the road safety cause at its annual road safety capacity-building workshop for teachers in Accra.

The programme, under Vivo Energy Ghana’s flagship road safety programme dubbed “My Road Safety, My Life” was organised in collaboration with the NRSC and GES, and involved a theoretical workshop, an interactive discussion, an exhibition and practical demonstrations of safe behaviour when crossing the road. This is the 3rd edition of the programme, and it was expanded to include 30 schools.

Acting as the Chairperson of the programme, the Greater Accra Deputy Regional Director for Education, Mrs. Bernice Ofori, had the following to say:

“This programme is exactly what we need! Indeed, our children’s lives are at risk when they are on the road. It is important that we make every effort to educate our children on road safety because you never know the potential that could be cut off from the world because of an accident. Thank you Vivo Energy Ghana for this initiative,” said Mrs. Ofori.

Mrs. Catherine Hamilton, the Greater Accra Regional Manager for the NRSC was also full of praise for the company. “As the lead agency in road safety, we are delighted and thankful to Vivo Energy Ghana for its tremendous support to National Road Safety Commission in the form of result oriented programmes and training activities targeted at promoting child safety in the Greater Accra region,” she said.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mr. Ebenezer Faulkner emphasised why Vivo Energy Ghana has taken on road safety, especially that of children, as one of its core community investment focus areas.

“Road traffic accidents continue to pose severe challenges to the socio-economic development of this nation. The safety of children on the road – either as pedestrians, passengers or as cyclists – continues to be of concern to Vivo Energy Ghana, The company has therefore taken this initiative to partner with the National Road Safety Commission and the Ghana Education Service to further advance road safety education among school children,” said Mr. Faulkner.

The 2016 winner of the Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility award at the 2016 Ghana Oil and Gas Awards, Vivo Energy Ghana’s involvement in ensuring safer roads for all goes back several years. Past initiatives include the mounting of lollipop stands and zebra crossings outside schools along high-risk roads; defensive driving training of commercial drivers; the donation of an alcohol metre to the Achimota Bus Terminal; helmet donation and road safety education for over 500 motorbike users in the Greater Accra and Northern regions, and many more initiatives.