Rally drivers demand for proper safety measures
Feb 11, 2019
The drivers made the appeal after their colleague Jas Mangat was involved in an accident in the Mbarara rally.
Lato Milk Mbarara Rally top five
1-Jas Mangat/Joseph Kamya -1:10:12:30
2-Arthur Blick/Unisan Bakunda -1:12:52:40
3-Alwi Hassan/Siraj Kyambadde -1:13:57:40
4-Ronald Ssebuguzi/Leon Ssenyange -1:15:03:50
5-Duncan Mubiru/Musa Nsubuga -1:15:05:40
6-Christakis Fitidis /Ratanaveer Darbaf -1:16:44:80
7-Omar Mayanja/ Hussein Mukuye -1:17:06:30
8-Yassin Nasser/Ali Katumba -1:17:30:00
9-Musa Kabega/Rogers Sirwomu -1:18:39:30
10-Fred Busulwa/Joseph Bongole -1:18:49:00
Rally drivers have urged the motorsports governing body (FMU) to find better solutions to safety hazards during events.
The drivers made the appeal after their colleague Jas Mangat was involved in an accident in the Mbarara rally.
The crew of Mangat and Joseph Kamya in a Mitsubishi Evo10 were involved in an accident with a boda-boda cyclist on Sunday in the ninth section of Bukiro JB -Bwizibwera at Kacwampare trading center in Rubare village in Mbarara district, leaving the cyclist dead.
Jas Mangat powers his Evo 10 in the sixth section
"It is horrible to leave an event when you have injured any person or livestock. I think the organisers and federation must find solutions to such uncalled for accidents," Hassan Alwi noted.
"There must be at least three route openers before the first competitive car gets to the sections," Alwi said.
He urged drivers to team up and play a role in the improvement of safety.
"We went into the section without the route opener. I asked the organisers on the safety of the section and they okayed me. However, we slowed down and at the time of the incident, we were not powering because we knew we were in a comfortable lead," Mangat added.
He added that he had saved over four boda-boda cyclists who entered into the sections during the event.
He was supported by Dr.Ashraf Ahmed, Hassan Alwi and Christakis Fitidis who said they complained to the organisers of the safety hazards without a route opener because the roads had several feeder roads which were not closed.
The incident left Mangat terrified because it was the first time he was knocking dead a person.
Rwizi Region Traffic Police officer Justine Opus said they will take the car for inspection and also carry out further investigation to the incident.
Only 23 drivers out of the 31 that started the race, managed to finish with Mangat emerging winner after section 8, while Arthur Blick Jr., Alwi, Ronald Ssebuguzi finished second, third and fourth respectively.