General Katumba Wamala the Minister for Works and Transport Gen Edward has issued strict guidelines to be followed by road users and enforcement agencies to arrest the recent surge in road accidents.
In a press briefing at ministry’s head offices on old port bell road,Gen Katumba announced that there will be accelerated enforcement of road safety laws, in which errant drivers will be arrested and taken to courts of law, while others will be detained for hours for sensitization.
The Minister’s intervention follows back-to-back road crashes in the last one week in which up to 83 people lost their lives.
He revealed that in the past week alone from December 11th to 17th, 390 road crashes were registered, of which 71 were fatal, 202 were serious and 117 were minor.
“83 lives were lost and 297 were seriously injured,” the Minister said.
The rise in road carnage is being attributed largely to high traffic volume on the road as people ahead of Christmas.
The newly issued guidelines, Minister Katumba says will target offenses including speeding, drifting into another lane, drink driving, driving without a valid driving license, vehicles in a dangerous mechanical condition, using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, riding without wearing a crash helmet and driving without wearing seat belts.
“The drivers who commit serious offenses will be arrested and produced before courts of law while others will be will be detained for 2 hours, sensitized about the traffic laws and thereafter will be left to proceed on their journey,” He said.
Below are some of the measures and guidelines setup;
Police will ensure that all drivers involved in crashes have their fingerprints taken and tested for alcohol.
The Ministry and Police will ensure that at buses comply to the issued route charts and PSV licenses.
No return journeys will be allowed during the festive season.
Traffic officers deployed at the Police checkpoints will ensure that drivers comply to the route charts.
Uganda Police Force and Uganda National Roads Authority will remove abandoned/ broken down vehicles and any obstruction on the road at the owner’s cost.
Uganda Police Force in conjunction with Ministry of Health has activated Emergency Response Centres and there are Teams to respond to these emergencies to evacuate victims to health facilities and provide general post-crash health care.
Major accidents
Some of the major accidents that happened in the past week include one on 18th December 2022 involving motor vehicle Reg. No UBL 270S Toyota Fielder and a bus Reg. No. UAW 561P Isuzu Bus belonging to Global Company at Nabusanke in Kayabwe along Kampala – Masaka road, which killed 3 three occupants of the Toyota Fielder on spot.
The fielder driver is said to have tried to overtake and hit a hump thereby losing control of the vehicle and ramming into the bus.
Another Fatal road traffic crash took place at Saala Kibuuku along Nakalama-Tirinyi road involving a bus Reg. UAV 701C belonging YY bus company and a motorcycle. The rider was killed on spot.
Preliminary findings indicate that the probable cause of the Crash was as a result of the bus driver speeding and overtaking vehicles who in the process hit a motorcyclist who was making a right turn and dragged the motorcycle into the swamp on the right side of the road section.
On 19th December 2022 at around 7:00am a fatal road traffic crash occurred along Nabowa Town Council – Budaka, along Mbale – Tirinyi road involving motor vehicle Reg. No. UBK 995F a Toyota Land Cruiser and an Isuzu Box Body Reg. No. KCX 071K killing Hon. Patrick Okabe the Member of Parliament Serere Constituency and his wife Christine Okabe who died on arrival at Mbale Regional Hospital.
Another serious single road traffic crash occurred at Bujuuko yesterday 19th December 2022 during the early morning downpour at about 7:45am, a Toyota Regius Reg. No. UAZ 198C with 07 occupants lost control when it hit flooded water on the road and drove over a road guard the impact pushed it, knocked an electric pole then stopped on a UNRA Mark stone. The victims were seriously injured and rushed to Nswengere Health Center and later on were referred to Mulago for further management.
Meanwhile, Gen Katumba also reminded the public that the threat of terrorism is still around, and therefore directed bus owners and operators to ensure the checking of luggage and passengers especially those picked along the way.
“The bus terminals and taxi parks should put in place access control measures to check luggage and deter wrong elements from entering the parks,” he said.
