KAMPALA | MOWT | RAILWAY TRANSPORT 

According to Regan Namanya, the Commissioner in Charge of Railway Transport, the Works and Transport ministry requires about Sh10 trillion to have robust railway transport and to decongest the Kampala Metropolitan Area.
 
"I believe that once railway transportation is improved, the number of passengers who use trains will increase." 

He predicted that in the next five years, the number of passengers would rise from 1,315 to 50.000.
 
On the other hand, Namanya stated that the Ministry is still experiencing difficulties in relocating people who have encroached on railway land and vandalized railway rings.
 
He made the remarks during the National Symposium on Public Transport in Uganda, held at the Hotel Africana in Kampala, that Uganda's public transportation remains a challenge for users because it is unregulated.
 
Namanya explained that public transportation fares are determined by the seasons, which has a significant impact on users. However, he pointed out that railway transportation charges only Shs 1,000 per passenger per route.
 
Eng. Irene Namuyiga of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) explained that there are approximately 18,000 PSV registered commuter taxes in Kampala and that public transportation in the city is unregulated, making it difficult for KCCA to pass on information.

"There are different groups of commuter taxi groups, and because they are not organized, KCCA has failed to communicate with them," Namuyiga explained.

She went on to say that KCCA conducted a survey and discovered that 40% of Kampala residents walk to and from work because they cannot afford the high transportation costs.

Public transportation in Uganda is largely unregulated and dominated by the private sector. These informal modes of public transportation include 14-seater commuter taxes, boda-bodas, and buses.

The majority of road injuries in Uganda mainly involve the informal public transport mode. Within Kampala, users and the operation of boda-boda constitute more than 50%of road traffic crashes.

Dr. Olive Kobusingye, the Head Trauma Injury, and Disability unit of Makerere University School of Public Health stated that the majority of traffic road crashes are in the city center, adding that the majority of the affected people are pedestrians and those riding.

“The majority of people killed are either walking or are on two wheels," she added, adding that public transport should be included. making it accessible, affordable, and safe for everyone, including children and people with disabilities,” Kobusingye explained." 

She said that they are focusing on how people move in the metropolitan area, and yet there is also a need to focus on road transport.

Eng Andrew Sserunjogi, the supervisor of road maintenance at KCCA, said that too much congestion in the city has contributed to a reduction in speed from 40km per hour to between 8 and 14km.

He attributed the reduction in speed to traffic jams, population numbers, and a huge number of boda-bodas operating in the city.

Sserunjogi, however, reminded the public that plans are underway to regulate the Boda-Bodas and operate them in an organized manner, adding that they are contributing to a lot of congestion in the city.

"We are improving this by introducing buses in the city. The government has already engaged the services of KIIRA Motors to manufacture buses in Uganda. These buses are going to help us transport people,’’ he said. 

According to the World Bank traffic report, traffic jams cost the country over US$800m (over Sh2.9trillion) in the gross domestic product (GDP).

This involves fuel costs, pollution, accidents created by traffic jams, and congestion in the city, among others.

According to the Annual Crime Report 2021, most road crashes in Uganda involve pedestrians, with the highest number of fatalities at 33% (1,384). Accidents that involve pedestrians usually occur as they try to cross the roads. In some cases, pedestrians fall, victim, when vehicles veer off the road and plow into them.

Other accidents occur when a driver trying to avoid a collision with another vehicle ends up hitting pedestrians.

Motorcyclists are 34% (1,390 fatalities) and are second to pedestrians. According to the report, motorcycles have become a popular means of transport in Uganda due to their flexibility and versatility.