Something has to be done about the traffic gridlock in Kampala City before something really terrible happens. Imagine a terror strike in downtown Kampala at peak hours. People would be trapped; whatever emergency services are available rendered impotent to respond.
The past fortnight has been especially bad with dawn to dusk lock-jams holding up commuters for hours. A quick look suggests that the traffic police are partly to blame for this unacceptable situation. The police either refuse to act decisively, or are conniving with taxi operators who have turned Kampala’s roads into a nightmare by loading and offloading passengers wherever they wish. The Uganda House and Total/Diamond Trust Bank areas are usually rendered impassable as a result.
Similarly, traffic along Entebbe Road grinds to a halt every rush hour because traffic cops allow taxis to block traffic at Kibuye. In Banda/Kireka, it’s utter bedlam. Right before the noses of the men and women in white, taxis make a mess of things every single day.
This is replicated across the city: Be it in Bwaise, Constitution Square, Ntinda, Kamwokya, Kansanga or Bweyogerere, the police are letting the public down. Every time a taxi stops in the middle of the road, another quickly follows suit right behind it. Before long, there is a build-up of several other taxis, and then more vehicles, stretching back kilometres.
Kampala’s less than one million vehicles, while a large number, cannot be enough to shut down city traffic. At the heart of the current crisis is irresponsible road use by mainly taxi operators. Their misconduct has been the most compelling argument to-date to have them kicked out of town.
We also have the increase in unnecessary closure of roads. These VIP-instigated road closures have increased following the disputed February elections. Which begs the question: Why do these VIPs have to come into the town centre if they end up becoming a public nuisance?
A few days ago, traffic was brought to a standstill along Parliament Avenue, King George VI Way and down Jinja Road just because a certain new minister was entering office. If the security folk are so nervous about this minister’s security, the government should relocate this person out of town.
In much the same way, city dwellers are thoroughly inconvenienced by more people driving around with all manner of lead vehicles; sirens and lights blazing or armed escort bossing their way around. They act as if they are a law unto themselves — in total disregard for the sanity of other road users. Someone has to put a stop to this nonsense.
The issue: Traffic mess.
Our view: City dwellers are thoroughly inconvenienced by more people driving around with all manner of lead vehicles; sirens and lights blazing or armed escort bossing their way around… Someone has to put a stop to this nonsense.
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