Uber partners with Transport Ministry to promote road safety

From left: M. Rukshan, Chairman, Sri Lanka Red Cross, Colombo District, Kumari Kothalawala, Senior Executive,  Sri Lanka Red Cross, State Minister  Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Sanjay Chadha, Director Public Policy, Uber, South Asia, Thanushika Sivanathan, Country Manager, Uber Rides

Uber, the leading platform for movement of people and things, recently announced a partnership with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Transport to promote road safety in the country. Thousand driver partners across Uber Rides and Uber Eats in Sri Lanka will undergo first-aid training conducted by Sri Lanka Red Cross. 
After undergoing this training, these drivers will be able to provide potentially life-saving first-aid support to riders in case of accidents. This will include vital skills such as CPR, bandaging, and managing injuries, in case of emergencies.

The training was kickstarted today with 50 Tuk drivers in the presence of State Minister for Transportation, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Uber Sri Lanka’s Country Manager for Rides, Thanushika Sivanathan, Sri Lanka Red Cross Chairman, Colombo district, M. Rukshan, and, Uber India & South Asia’s Head of Policy, Sanjay Chadha, among others. The training will continue over the coming weeks with several training sessions planned in and around the capital Colombo. 
State Minister of Transportation, Lasantha Alagiyawanna said, “Today, rides at the tap of a button have made mobility easier and accessible. We believe that companies like Uber can play a critical role in improving road safety. 

By training drivers to impart first-aid when someone needs it and sensitizing them to the importance of traffic rules, they can help reduce accident-induced fatalities and make roads safer for all. Uber’s efforts to organize training for driver partners and delivery partners is a step in the right direction.” 
Thanushika Sivanathan, Country Manager, Uber Rides Sri Lanka, said, “Safety of the riders and driver partners is paramount at Uber. We have continued to invest in technology-led features and human interventions to improve safety on our platform. Our partnership with the Ministry of Transport is another step towards enhancing road safety in Sri Lanka. With the support from Sri Lanka Red Cross and Sri Lanka Traffic Police, driver partners and delivery partners will be trained to provide first-aid and will be able to support someone in need, on-time.”