Michelin and Transaid at Lord Mayor’s Show

Michelin used its float at the London Lord Mayor’s Show to promote a message of Global Road Safety with help from international transport skills development charity Transaid. The Lord Mayor’s Show is an 800 year old tradition, and an estimated half a million people turned out to line the streets of the City of London to cheer the floats on, with millions more watching the BBC’s live coverage.

Transaid and Michelin helpers carried placards highlighting the problems that Transaid tackles in Africa, and the impact that its work has. One placard highlighted the shocking fact that 2,500 people are killed in road accidents in developing countries every day. In fact, 85 per cent of road accidents take place in poor countries and Transaid helps to combat this by improving the way that commercial and health service vehicles are driven and maintained. As well as making the roads safer, its work also enables health workers to reach more patients and drivers to make a better living.

Also on display was a motorcycle ambulance prototype, designed to help pregnant women in remote parts of Nigeria get to clinics for emergency treatment. “It’s certainly the biggest public audience we’ve ever had for our message,” comments Transaid’s head of marketing Caroline Beaumont. “It was a great feeling to see all those people reading our placards and to get so many waves and cheers from the crowds.”

Michelin is a founding member of Transaid.