Mining activities in Kweneng increase traffic

New safety campaign launched

TotalEnergies Botswana has embarked on road safety campaign as haulage- trucks traffic increase within the Kweneng District due to coal exports from Masama Coal Mine.

Collaborating with other stakeholders - Motor Vehicle Accident Fund ( MVA), logistics and transport company UniTrans and Letlhakeng Sub District Road Safety Committee - TotalEnergies has launched a road safety campaign dubbed # IamTrafficToo with a bias towards school going children.

The initiative is part of the company’s annual Stakeholder Relationship Management ( SRM), an undertaking by TotalEnergies through which the company explores and implements social responsibility activities in communities.

TotalEnergies’ Operations and Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Quality ( HSSEQ) Manager, Patrick Thedi said the campaign is expected to demystify misconception that road users are motor vehicles only.

“Let us respect all the road users,” Thedi said, explaining that the project will be rolled out across the country to empower children and road safety committees, improved annually. Thedi said the risk Letlhakeng Primary School is exposed to by virtue of being in a busy highway entering the village has attracted Total Energies to the area.

“Risks caused us to do something better hence we chose to start the campaign here ( Letlhakeng Primary School),” Thedi said.

The campaign is expected to also hype the new normal 30 kilometres per hour speed around school zones to protect pupils from getting hit by vehicles when crossing the road, launched last year during the Global Road Safety Week.

“As our organisation transitions from Total to Total Energies, we are committed to exploring sustainable initiatives that will be equally indicative of our growth and this campaign is a step in that right direction, ” Thedi said

District Traffic Officer Assistant Superintendent, Ruben Moleele implored drivers in the district at the launch to desist from reckless driving to try and reduce road accidents and carnages.

Although road accidents in the districts have marginally dropped in the last five years more caution is still needed on the roads. The district recorded 788 accidents in 2017 before a rise to 861 in 2019 and a drop to 792 in 2021 and currently the district had 769 recorded accidents, as of Tuesday.

He implored drivers to adhere to the traffic rules and learn on the potential dangers that occur on the roads, beyond getting licenses.

Meanwhile, Director of the Department of Road Transport and safety, Bokhutlo Modukanele urged different stakeholders to pull together in road safety campaigns highlighting that the festive jubilations are prone to accidents.

“Let us know that festive season is time to enjoy not to regret,” Modukanele said.