Summary & Key Points
"Côte d'Ivoire records 14,000 road accidents annually, with 21,409 victims in 2023, of which 9,062 interventions by emergency rescue services were related to traffic accidents."
Côte d’Ivoire records 14,000 road accidents each year, with 21,409 victims in 2023, including 9,062 emergency response interventions related to traffic accidents. Although the traffic accident rate in 2023 decreased by 15% compared to 2022, it remains severe enough to concern society as a whole, particularly all road users.
Aware of its civic responsibility to achieve a Côte d’Ivoire with zero road deaths and committed to helping change mindsets through the adoption of responsible driving, the PAC-CI Programme Directorate, in partnership with CIDH Consulting, organized a workshop on professional ethics for employees of the Procurement and Logistics Department. How can PAC-CI Programme drivers improve their driving?
At the outset, Mr. Yao, a trainer at OSER, defined professional ethics as: «a set of principles and moral values that help judge an action as acceptable or not within the framework of professional activities». Professional ethics for drivers helps them adopt positive attitudes and behaviors that respect traffic laws, their own lives, and those of others, prevent «bad» behaviors that could harm their profession and the Programme, and potentially condemn them.
According to him, a «good» driver at PAC-CI must fulfill five roles: an administrative role (checking vehicle documents, their own documents, and those related to their assignments), inspecting the vehicle’s condition before starting it, handling loads (avoiding overloading to prevent excessive fuel consumption…), acting as a representative (maintaining a professional appearance and language, building trust with employers and partners…), and practicing rational driving; that is, adopting preventive, defensive, and economical driving while rejecting aggressive driving.
This mastery of rational driving must be reinforced by understanding the symbols for hazards, prohibitions, obligations, indications, and services necessary for all road users.
(From left to right) Mr. Konan, Mr. Cissé, Dr. Moh, and Mr. N’chot at the dinner hosted by the Directorate
Aware of their responsibilities toward the PAC-CI Programme Directorate, their relationships with Programme partners, and the missions entrusted to them, the drivers committed— in the presence of Mr. Cissé, the CFO; Mr. Konan, Head of Procurement and Logistics; and his Assistant, Ms. Konan—to implement the trainer’s recommendations both at work and in their daily lives.
Notably, on the final evening of this training, Dr. Moh, PAC-CI Programme Executive Director, visited the Floris Hotel to show his support for his team—while reiterating the Directorate’s commitment to investing in the training of its human capital, with the long-term goal of «making the Programme a learning organization».
