Road Safety Drive Opens

Dec 10, 2001

Transport and communications minister John Nasasira yesterday launched the Uganda Road Safety Initiative at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.

By Geoffrey Kamali Transport and communications minister John Nasasira yesterday launched the Uganda Road Safety Initiative at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala. The initiative, prompted by the death of four sports journalists in a car crash in August, includes newspapers, most radio stations and corporate sponsors. The journalists, Kenneth Matovu, Simon Peter Ekarot and Leo Kabunga, all from The New Vision and Francis Batte Jr. of The Monitor, died after their car collided with a pick-up truck near Lugazi town. The truck driver also died in the crash. Nasasira said traffic accidents were retarding economic growth, with over sh5b lost in road carnage, representing a 2.5% of GDP. “This is absurd and should not be condoned,” he said. He said roads would be marked as well as sharp corners on the Kampala-Jinja, Entebbe and Masaka highways as a measure to reduce the high road carnage. The function was attended by the Police traffic chief, Jonathan Mugoya, New Vision managing director William Pike, Shell Uganda chief Ian Bramillow and the sponsors’ representatives. Nasasira said the Police would be equipped to handle speed. He said traffic studies would be included on the primary school syllabus and the 1998 traffic and road safety law amended. Pike called for combined efforts to inspire behavioural change among motorists and other road users, the way the HIV epidemic has been handled. Ends

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