Uber gets into Uganda Breweries red card strategy

Image Source: African Business

In Uganda, it is estimated that about 5% of all road accidents are due to drunk driving.

According to Uganda Breweries Corporate Relations Manager, David Onyango, the Responsible Drinking Campaign is geared towards ensuring the safety of everyone; the consumers who drink their brands, road users they might encounter, and the broader society they interact with.

"We shall have our people on the ground in bars and other entertainment venues. Uber rides will be available through interactive engagements with our teams to consumers who wish to enjoy a night out without having to drive home," Onyango said.

For existing Uber users, UBL activation teams will carry out activations in select bars in and around Kampala sensitising consumers on responsible drinking. During the activations, consumers will be engaged and stand a chance to win free rides. These activations will run from January to June 2017.

Human error the biggest cause of motor road accidents

"It is true that human behavior or human error is the biggest cause of motor road accidents. Our responsible drinking campaign, therefore, aims to shift this behavior before people get behind the wheel, if at all. Our messages stress the need to have a designated driver on a night out, for a person to space their drinks with water and other non-alcoholic beverages so that they remain in control of their faculties. Above all, our campaign stresses the zero tolerance on drunk driving," said Onyango.

Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Commander Norman Musinga said, "I thank the UBL management for this initiative and request that such awareness campaigns be sustained in order to reduce cases of road accidents related to drunk driving in Kampala and the country at large."

Aaron Tindiseega, operations manager Uber Uganda said that the Uber model is one of the most foolproof ways of monitoring behavior of drivers because it is a mechanic that is controlled purely by the users. This coupled with their screening process means that the Uber drivers are some of the most reliable in the world.

"Our strict policies mean that you can be sure that with our drivers, you will reach home safely. Our drivers are vetted and continuously assessed to ensure that they are always in control both mentally and physically. Our rating system calls upon consumers to be vigilant and to give feedback that allows us to continue to monitor our drivers. Like Uganda Breweries Limited, we have a zero tolerance to drunk driving and we continue to engage with our drivers to ensure total compliance with our guidelines," said Tindiseega.