Urmi Group has recently begun displaying drawings made by its drivers’ children on lorries used to transport its products, along with short messages addressed to their fathers.
At the heart of every picture is the same message: Father, drive carefully and come home safely at the end of the day. Some drawings tell stories of family, while others simply express a child’s love for their father.
According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) data from 2023, of the 7,837 vehicles involved in road accidents, 1,389 were lorries and covered vans, while another 370 were pickup vehicles- together accounting for around 22 per cent of the total, said a press release on Wednesday.
The initiative was inspired by the “Children’s Museum Project” of Japanese transport company Miyata Unyu. Following a fatal road accident, the company began displaying drawings by drivers’ children on its lorries.
The company later reported that accidents declined by around 40 per cent over the following six years after children’s artwork was displayed on 87 vehicles. In 2019, the initiative evolved into an independent organisation and subsequently spread to many other companies across Japan, the press release added.
Bangladesh has a long tradition of displaying paintings, phrases and different forms of artwork on the back of lorries and commercial vehicles. Urmi Group is using that familiar space to create a more personal connection between drivers and their families.
The group also believes the drawings can carry a human message to other drivers and road users- reminding them that behind the wheel is a person with a family waiting for them at home, according to the press release.
Urmi Group MD Asif Ashraf said, “During a seminar in Japan, I had the opportunity to experience this initiative firsthand, and the idea resonated with me personally. A child’s drawing can serve as a constant reminder to a driver that there is a family waiting for him to return home safely. Inspired by this idea, we initially introduced the initiative on a small number of our vehicles and saw a positive impact. Based on that experience, we have now decided to expand it more widely across Urmi Group’s transport operations.”
Urmi Group said the initiative has been undertaken as part of its responsibility as a private-sector organisation, alongside the government’s broader road-safety efforts. The programme is part of the group’s ongoing efforts to strengthen driver awareness and personal responsibility, while placing greater emphasis on employee safety and deeper engagement with their families.
