A section of residents of Onzivu ward in Uganda's northern city of Arua city are calling for the construction of humps on identified black spots along the Arua-Nebbi highway in a bid to curb road crashes.

They pointed at especially the stretch between Awindiri market and Ragem Technical Institute as being prone to crashes.

The residents made the call during a community baraza (dialogue) this week.

Shida Mariam, the village health team coordinator of Onzivu ward, said there are schools, hospitals and markets located along the highway, which necessitates the installment of humps and zebra crossings to save lives.

Moses Alionzi, a village chairperson of the area, said the community wrote to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) requesting for the construction of humps on the section of the route to limit speeding by motorists.

He claimed that the roads agency has yet to respond to them.

"There are many people who have lost their lives there," said Alionzi.

"As LCs [local councillors], we tried to gather signatures from residents so that we get a road hump to reduce the accidents. We submitted everything to Uganda National Roads Authority, but up to now there is nothing that has taken place.

"We hear that they say this is a highway and they cannot put humps on a highway. But people are dying!"

Meanwhile, Ayivu division mayor Marlon Avutia promised to bring the request to the attention of UNRA.

"We are saying, can UNRA, with the help of the city roads committee, where we sit, have an engagement to discuss this road design — whether it will warrant that we have some zebra crossings, particularly where children exist in schools...," he said.

"But this will be subjected to technical reasoning because as a layman, I may not be able to say [that] this place deserves a zebra crossing or maybe there should be a hump here."

Police in West Nile have repeatedly blamed the road crashes on the route on reckless driving and narrow roads.