Summary & Key Points
"Côte d’Ivoire records 14,000 road accidents each year, with 21,409 victims in 2023, including 9,062 emergency rescue operations 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 changing mindsets through the adoption of responsible driving, the PAC-CI Programme Management, in partnership with CIDH Consulting, organized a workshop on professional ethics for employees of the Purchasing and Logistics Department. How can PAC-CI Programme drivers improve their driving?
At the outset, Mr. Yao, trainer at OSER, defined professional ethics as: “the 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 “poor” behaviors that could harm their profession and the Programme, and potentially condemn them.
According to him, a “good” PAC-CI driver must fulfill five roles: an administrative role (checking vehicle documents, their own, and those related to their assignments), inspecting the vehicle 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—meaning adopting preventive, defensive, and economical driving while rejecting aggressive driving.
Mastery of rational driving must be reinforced by understanding road signs, including danger, prohibition, obligation, indication, and service symbols essential for all road users.
(From left to right) Mr. Konan, Mr. Cissé, Dr. Moh, and Mr. N’chot at the dinner hosted by the Management
Aware of their responsibilities toward the PAC-CI Programme Management, 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 Purchasing and Logistics; and his assistant, Ms. Konan—to implement the trainer’s recommendations both at work and in daily life.
Notably, on the final evening of this training, Dr. Moh, Executive Director of the PAC-CI Programme, visited Floris Hotel to show support for his team, reaffirming the Management’s commitment to investing in human capital development with the long-term goal of “making the Programme a learning organization.”
