Vivo Energy Uganda launches new season of the ‘Tweddeko’ road safety campaign

Kampala: In a bid to curb road accidents ahead of the Easter holiday, Vivo Energy Uganda has relaunched its award-winning road safety campaign, named ‘Tweddeko’ and donated a consignment of road signage worth over fifty million shillings (UGX 50 million) to the Uganda Police Force.

The road signage will be deployed at the highway checkpoints mounted by the Uganda Police to enhance motorist visibility and to support with enforcement of traffic regulations and safety rules.

The donation is an initiative of the Tweddeko ‘Every Life Matters’ road safety campaign.

“The forthcoming holiday season is characterized by increased road usage as people travel to celebrate the season with loved ones. In our business, health and safety are a top priority and we would like to contribute towards minimizing road accidents that often occur during this season. Road signs will provide visibility of the various police highway check points that will be put in place to enforce safer road use by motorists and provide valuable information to drivers and other road users. They represent rules that are in place to keep you safe, and help to communicate messages to drivers and pedestrians that can maintain order and reduce accidents,” said Mr. Johan Grobbelaar, Vivo Energy Uganda Managing Director.

The donation was received by the Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Police Commander, Mr. Kawuma Nsereko Rogers.

“We all have a role to play towards enhancing road safety and I would like to appreciate the efforts of Vivo Energy Uganda and partners. This supply of road signage will enhance visibility especially along highways that will witness increased usage in the days to come. I appeal to all road users to observe the regulations in place for safe road usage,” he said.

According to statistics from Uganda Police, road accidents peak during the holiday season.

Data from the Uganda Police Traffic Directorate indicates that that there was an average of 14 fatalities in 2020 on Uganda’s roads every day in December.

“Over the years, the efforts towards sensitizing the public about road safety using media channels has yielded positive results. We are pleased to be part of this campaign and commit to continue to use our channels to share road safety tips that drive behaviour change among all road users including pedestrians, motorists and boda boda riders,” said Mr. Johnson Omolo, Managing Director, NTV Uganda.

The Tweddeko campaign, now in its third year, is an annual road safety campaign in partnership with NTV and with the support of the Ministry of Works & Transport, Uganda Police Force and Uganda Red Cross.

The campaign seeks to inspire behavioural change among road users by sharing road safety tips and personal testimonies from road accident victims to contribute towards reduction in road carnage and minimize loss of life.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. We must all work hand in hand to ensure that our roads are safe for all road users. We appreciate the Uganda Police Force and relevant authorities for the commendable steps they’ve taken to reduce accidents. We pledge our commitment to compliment these efforts through our Tweddeko campaign which will continue to sensitize the public on road safety,” Mr. Grobbelaar added.

“I want to remind all road users that road safety begins with you. Make it a point to read the road signage that has been put on the roadside and keep away from acts that would lead you to misuse the road and put your life in danger,” Mr. Nsereko added.

Tweddeko is a Luganda word for “let us reconsider our ways” or “let us change our ways”.