Fairfirst Insurance continues to invest in their community agenda

For years, Fairfirst Insurance have taken a prime standpoint in educating and building awareness among school children and the general public on the importance of road rules & regulations. This project has continued to be exercised in partnership with the Sri Lanka Traffic Police Headquarters since Fairfirst’s operations under its former brand name. Since then, Fairfirst has been able to reach out to over 1,000 schools, which is 10% of the number of schools in Sri Lanka, and connect with over 50,000 students. 

According to statistics revealed by the Traffic Police Headquarters, an estimated 3,150 people have died last year, owing to road accidents. In Sri Lanka, most of these accidents can be attributed to the blatant disregard for road rules by drivers, and the lack of secure infrastructure and stringent laws. Despite having no direct link to business, the program is all about investing in the future wellbeing of the nation, and taking a stand against an issue that is not just real in Sri Lanka, but the world over. A vital part of this initiative is the traffic warden program, which focuses on growing and training the number of traffic wardens in the country. Attested within the Sri Lanka Motor Traffic Act – Section 162, a traffic warden is empowered with the authority of a traffic police officer. Children from schools all over the island usually take on this responsibility. The role centres on ensuring smoother traffic flow, reduced accidents, and most importantly ensuring the safety of the school children. 

In this regard Fairfirst carries out tailor made training programs, with hands on training sessions and live demonstrations from the Traffic Police personnel as to how traffic can be regulated near schools. To appraise the efforts and as a monitoring mechanism, participating students are issued a certificate by Sri Lanka Traffic Police, where they are endorced as certifed Traffic Wardens. 

“Our hope is that, when these children themselves become the vehicle owners/drivers of tomorrow, they will change this risky driving culture to one that’s a lot safer. It may be a long shot, but this is a real problem in Sri Lanka and for us this is what giving back to the community means,” stated Marketing and Digital Solutions Head Sasith Bambaradeniya. 

Further augmenting the project, Fairfirst tied hands with the National Transport Commission of Sri Lanka this year, thereby facilitating wider reach among schools. For the year 2018, Fairfirst has conducted over 45 programs with over 25,000 school children. Out of this, 10,575 students were certified as traffic wardens and Fairfirst have continued to expand on this network year on year. These events have allowed Fairfirst to cover 616 schools from across the length and breadth of Sri Lanka.