From December 14-20, the Ministry of Works and Transport, together with civil society organisations, will launch the Road Safety Week campaign in Kampala. This will be marked by several activities, including training of boda boda riders and pedestrians on safety measures.
This campaign is timely considering the upcoming festive season. In the past two weeks, two fatal accidents involving buses have been recorded. According to the World Health Organisation Global Status on Road Safety 2015, about 1.25 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. The same report reveals that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15–29 years.
Road safety in Uganda remains a very big challenge. 2,845 lives were lost in 2014 and a further 13,516 were seriously injured (hospitalised) according to data from police. These fatalities and serious injuries strain an already overwhelmed health system in the country. A report by the World Health Organisation released on October 19 indicates that Uganda has one of the highest road fatalities. The most vulnerable road user group in terms of fatalities are the pedestrians, followed by passengers.
In recent Civil Society Coalition on Transport think tank workshop on transport in Masaka, participants said connivance between traffic officers and bus drivers along Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway is partly responsible for road crashes along the highway. It is true that bus and taxi companies panic around Christmas season to make endless return journeys to maximise profits. This results in exhaustion of drivers and puts the lives of passengers at risk. I hope traffic police officers will do their work to ensure motorists respect traffic rules. Remember it may be your relative, friend or sibling aboard the bus! I would like to recommend the following;
• Let everyone play a role in reporting bus companies that will be making more than the recommended voyages.
• Let us report bad driving to the traffic police. Do not wait to report an accident! It is better to prevent the road crashes.
• The traffic police must remain transparent and accountable to the public. They should not allow buses to make unwarranted return journeys contrary to set travel charts.
Together, we can make Uganda a model country for road safety. Remember, we are all vulnerable to road crashes and we all have a stake in ensuring safety. Let’s embrace the road safety theme this year, “Let’s share the road – save lives!”
John Vianney Ahumuza,
Coordinator Civil Society Coalition on Transport
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