In the Community

Sol Guyana marked the official launch of their Road Safety Initiative on November 1^stwhich coincides with the regions national Road Safety Month.

Sol's Road Safety Initiative is a yearlong programme that will raise public awareness and include production of seven videos on car care and road safety messages that will be shown on YouTube.

The launch event took place at the Shell Regent Street Service Station, with external stakeholders including the Guyana Police Force – Traffic Department and the Alicea Foundation - Mothers in Black.

The Alicea Foundation is a reputable NGO that started in 1996. It was fuelled by the sudden death of the founder's daughter, Alicea Dias. Denise Dias, her mother, established the foundation aka Mothers in Black.

The Alicea Foundation have advocated and lobbied over many years for the strengthening of new and improved enforcement of relevant road safety laws and road safety education in local schools. Eventually the mothers' hard work materialised when legislation was passed for the use of helmets, seat belts, breathalysers and radar guns.

Speaking at the launch, Regional Manager – SOL Guyana, Haiti and Belize, Ken Figaro expressed the importance of this initiative as it sought to encourage safer driving and reduce fatalities on the road.

Mr Figaro stated:“We at SOL along with the Alicea Foundation – that has very positively responded to the UN’s call for a Decade of Action for road safety, are ideally positioned to be a part of the solution to the road accident problems through our public awareness messages. These messages will educate and remind drivers and pedestrians to practise care and caution at all times thereby supporting this year’s road safety theme “Walk, Ride or Drive; Practise Road Safety and stay alive”. It is our hope that this will create a culture of safety in our community, all with the aim of saving our invaluable human resources.”