Chevron inaugurates road-safety awareness programme

Chevron Bangladesh President, Neil Menzies (center); PGPA Director, Ismail Chowdhury; HES Director, Ashiq Rahman hand over completion certificate to the first cohort of drivers upon completion of a two-day training and knowledge-sharing session on safe road behaviors and defensive driving. Also seen at extreme left is Gas Plant Superintendent of Bibiyana Gas Plant, Don Lewis.
Chevron Bangladesh President, Neil Menzies (center); PGPA Director, Ismail Chowdhury; HES Director, Ashiq Rahman hand over completion certificate to the first cohort of drivers upon completion of a two-day training and knowledge-sharing session on safe road behaviors and defensive driving. Also seen at extreme left is Gas Plant Superintendent of Bibiyana Gas Plant, Don Lewis.

Chevron Bangladesh president Neil Menzies officially inaugurated a multi-year community roadsafety awareness programme on the premises of the Bibiyana Gas Plant recently.

The programme, implemented by Skills-Craft Associates, will emphasise vehicles and drivers operating on two major thoroughfares near Chevron’s Bibiyana and Moulavi Bazar facilities in Nabiganj and Srimangal upazilas respectively, said a press release.

According to the 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last December, the number of WHO-estimated road traffic fatalities in Bangladesh stood at nearly 25,000 in 2016.

Chevron’s programme is intended to build awareness on safe road behaviors and build drivers’ defensive driving skills, with a goal of reducing traffic accidents. Two-day training and knowledge sharing sessions in both catchment areas will be available to 300 drivers of three-wheeler auto-rickshaws and light delivery vehicles.

In addition, half-day sessions will be organised to summarise the training content for 200 people, including respected members of the local community, transport associations, educational institutions, etc. Some of the programmes will cover a range of topics including traffic laws and signage, on-road demonstrations and driving coaching, causes of collision and collision prevention techniques, and consequences of speeding and over-loading.

Also attending the inaugural event were Chevron’s Director for Policy, Govt. & Public Affairs, Ismail Chowdhury; Director for Health, Environment & Safety, Ashiq Rahman; Bibiyana Gas Plant Superintendent, Don Lewis; CEO and Lead Trainer, Skills-Craft Associates, Mahabub Alam; and other representatives from Bibiyana Gas Plant’s Leadership Team.

Menzies distributed certificates to the first group of 30 Nabiganj-based drivers who successfully completed the two-day training session. Speaking on the occasion, he lauded the initiative, as it taps into the need for the community to increaseawareness of safe driving and pedestrian behaviors.

He further expressed the hope that the current project will build on the success of Chevron’s previous three-year program with BRAC, which provided defensive driving training to 1,000 drivers of highway buses, trucks and local non-motorised vehicles operating in the Bibiyana area.