Awards ceremony and dinner gala held to recognise Best Truck Drivers that delivered the company’s fuel products for a record 17 million kilometres without any road safety incident.

Vivo Energy Uganda, the distributor and marketer of Shell-branded fuels and lubricants in Uganda, has today recognised over 400 of its high performing truck drivers and five (05) transporter companies at the Drivers and Hauliers League award ceremony held in Kampala, under the theme: “Goal Zero – My Commitment.”

The award ceremony is an opportunity for Vivo Energy Uganda to recognize and motivate the drivers’ commitment to health and safety on the road and is also a celebration of the safety record upheld by the transporter companies annually. Road transport accounts for close to 100 percent of the importation of fuel products. The drivers demonstrated outstanding professionalism as they delivered Shell fuels covering a record distance of 17 million kilometres without any incident in the year 2021.

The Drivers and Hauliers League awards were introduced in 2002 by Vivo Energy Uganda. The League is a structured process for measuring the performance of the drivers’ road safety behaviour and compliance. The drivers’ performance is scored every month, with quarterly awards that culminate in an annual recognition. The drivers are categorized into classes A, B and C, depending on how they perform.

The theme “Goal Zero – My commitment” calls for the drivers’ commitment to our Goal Zero target and new ways of working in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic that brought about unprecedented disruption to business and personal lives across the globe.

According to the Vivo Energy Uganda Managing Director, Johan Grobbelaar, “The Drivers League awards programme seeks to ensure that our drivers observe high professional conduct and operate the highest road safety standards while delivering our products on the road. As we emerge from the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is worth celebrating the heroes who braved the multitude of challenges to deliver our products into the country and onwards to our customers. We are among these heroes and it is befitting to celebrate them today.”

“The League aims to reinforce our target of Goal Zero, which is our continuous commitment to run our business without causing any harm to people, assets and the environment. We are very proud of our drivers who maintain these standards, particularly the gentlemen being recognized today,” he added.

The overall winner of the year, Mr Ismail Wario, works with SIBED Transport Company Limited. Wario scored 100 percent for his strict adherence to all Covid-19 SOPs, always showing a great attitude towards safe driving and operational excellence through consistent use of Defensive Driving skills. He upheld the company’s “Safety at Heart and Mind” driving culture and smartness, registered no driver violations throughout the year and for his hard work.

The other four drivers awarded were Ssempija Dan from Fred Sebyala Transport (FST), Lubega Bashir from Prime Fuels Uganda (PFU), Kayanja Fred from Uganda Transport Agencies Limited (UTA) and Samson Kyalo Munyooti from Multiple Hauliers East Africa Limited (MHEAL). Over 400 other drivers were also recognized for exemplary performance and achieved the Class A category.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Guest of Honour, Hon. Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala hailed Vivo Energy Uganda for its exemplary road safety record and urged all stakeholders in the transport industry to benchmark the best practices to avoid accidents and save lives.

“The government of Uganda commends Vivo Energy and all key stakeholders that prioritize and promote safer road use. All Ugandans need to continue to benchmark firms such as yours that have time-tested methods that have resulted in achieving the admirable road safety record and behaviour celebrated today. As government, we shall continue to seek public-private partnerships,” he said.

Adding, “The number one cause of road accidents is human misbehaviour on the road. I urge all Ugandans to commit to observe the most basic rules while driving such as observing speed limits, reducing driving distractions, using safety features such as seat belts and avoiding driving under the influence of fatigue or intoxicants. Adherence to these basic tips shall enable us to alleviate close to 80 percent of the road crashes experienced currently,” he advised.

Vivo Energy’s commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest International Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) standards is at the heart of our business and is a key differentiator for Vivo Energy in Africa. Being the best in HSSE is not an objective that sits apart from our overall ambitions. It is an integral and essential part of our business plan.