Transaid marks road safety milestones

At the end of September, Transaid used its annual showcase event in London to celebrate two major road safety milestones met during 2022, whilst also highlighting the significant challenges facing its professional driver training projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking before an audience of around 100 corporate members and supporters, Road Safety Project Manager Neil Rettie announced that since 2008, Transaid had trained more than 100 professional driver trainers, who have in turn delivered training to more than 50,000 mostly HGV, PSV and forklift drivers – having a lasting impact on road safety standards.

CEO Caroline Barber paid special thanks to the industry for its steadfast support, saying: “Achieving these milestones in 2022 has only been possible thanks to our strong partnerships, incredible teams and partners in Africa, and the remarkable backing from the transport industry and those that fund our work. Despite another challenging year, your support has remained constant, and I know that you are as committed to Transaid’s mission as ever.”

Looking to the future, Neil Rettie said that Transaid must work hard to support female drivers in gaining employment after completing their training – explaining that when entering a male dominated sector, women are often compared directly to male candidates for employment who already have years of experience.

He also highlighted that the environmental impact of transport means Transaid will place a renewed focus on teaching fuel-efficient driving, whilst also adjusting training to cater for the introduction of buses and motorcycle taxis with electric drivelines. He also warned that spiralling shipping costs are making it unrealistically expensive for Transaid to send donor vehicles to countries where they are needed to establish and grow training fleets – and invited offers of assistance from logistics or shipping partners.