UNRA ponders solution to road signage theft

PIC: Vandalized road signage along the Pakwach-Nebbi road. (Credit: Billy Rwothungeyo)

Take a drive along any national road in Uganda, and the chances that you will see a road sign that has been vandalized is very high.

The country is losing road signs to thieves - mainly scrap dealers - at an alarming rate.

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is laying strategies to curb this vice.

Allan Ssempebwa, UNRA's media relations manager, says the roads agency is planning to put the focus on sensitizing people about the importance of road signs.

"The most sustainable way to curb these thefts is to engage our people to respect and protect road signs. It is for our own good, road signs save lives," he told New Vision.

"It will be costly if we have to keep replacing the vandalized road signs."

The Police has on several occasions faulted the vandalism of road signs such as the ones that indicate speed limits, humps ahead, no overtaking, etc for playing a part in Uganda's road carnage.

The ‘old' UNRA had mooted the idea of replacing the predominantly metallic and aluminum road signs with concrete ones, which are less attractive to thieves.

In fact, it had earmarked the following roads to have concrete signages to deter potential vandals: Kampala-Masaka and Masaka-Mbarara, Soroti-Dokolo, Dokolo-Lira, Kabale-Kisoro, Jinja-Bigiri, Bugiri-Namutere, Malaba-Tororo-Namutere, Iganga-Kaliro, Iganga (Nakalama)-Mbale, Kampala-Gayaza, Gayaza-Zirobwe and Matugga-Semuto-Kapeeka.

Someone tried to pluck off this important road signage . . . but failed