The Shell Road Safety Awards has once again put the spotlight on grade-school students taking safety into their own hands for the wellbeing of their peers and communities.

The Ministry of Education, the Royal Oman Police, Sultan Qaboos University and Oman Shell have come together for the 14th annual Road Safety Awards programme that inspires real action among Omani school students. This competition calls on young population and teachers to implement their own initiatives to shift the way people think about safety in their homes and schools across the Sultanate.

The 2018/2019 edition of this award programme saw 355 participating schools, reaching over 1,000 students; resulting in 25 winning schools and three Directorates of Education being recognised for their creative safety campaigns.

The judges across the partnership reviewed many impressive award entries: from real-time bus tracking apps that minimise harmful UV exposure, to a once congested school parking lot that is much safer thanks to a new system for loading and unloading students from cars and buses.

The winning students attended the awards ceremony and showcased their projects to HE Sayyid Saud bin Hilal bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, Minister of State, Governor of Muscat and HE Dr. Madiha bint Ahmed Al-Shaibaniyah, Minister of Education and Oman Shell’s Country Chairman Walid Hadi.

Amna Al Balushi, Assistant Secretary General, Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and Chairperson of the Shell Road Safety Awards Committee said, “The Sultanate has always made safer roads a priority given the unfortunate losses caused by accidents. The Shell Road Safety Awards is a prime example of a joint collaboration between the public and private sectors that engages schools and local communities to raise awareness among students. Schools from across the Sultanate have shown creativity and excellence in implementing effective and impactful projects and road safety awareness campaigns that focus on students’ safety on busses and school facilities, as well as incorporating these learnings within schools’ curriculums.”

“Safety at Oman Shell is in our DNA and its second nature to show that the care we have for people, especially Oman’s youth, extends beyond our offices and operational interests. Joining forces with our partners, we all recognise the impact road safety plays and the importance of instilling road safety behaviours amongst young Omanis. They are the bright future of this country,” said Walid Hadi, Oman Shell Country Chairman.