Act on the dreadful traffic jams in city

Jul 24, 2002

SIR— Well-designed zebra- crossings improve traffic flow and bolster traffic safety.

SIR— Well-designed zebra- crossings improve traffic flow and bolster traffic safety. No equipment is required save good-quality paint that has a psychological effect on drivers and pedestrians to act as desired.Why is there no single zebra-crossing at the Ntinda-Nakawa road junction and the Clock Tower roundabout, yet we have heavy traffic at these points?We should have a minimum of three large zebra-crossings along Ben Kiwanuka Street and a minimum of six along Kampala Road; one at Nsambya Hospital; at Mulago Hospital; and another at each of the Makerere University entrances.The present zebra-crossings are miserably narrow. They interfere with quick traffic flow. They should be five times bigger since the speed and amount of traffic flow is directly proportional to the size of the zebra-crossing.With wider markings, the pedestrian traffic becomes rarefied and vehicles safely penetrate the crossers without any danger at dead slow speeds.Wide crossings will release the policemen for redeployment elsewhere. Signs warning the drivers of the markings should be 20 meters away from the crossings themselves and at eye level of the drivers irrespective of vehicle size and height.It appears KCC is incapable of administering the city’s traffic flows without the help of the transport ministry; but the same council seems to be ashamed of soliciting such help and only opts for chaos. Such an attitude should not be allowed in a capital city. KCC should be given a deadline by the central government before which the traffic should attain acceptable levels of efficiency and safety. We cannot continue to keep quiet as loss of life and property in the city climbs to sh500m per week and a journey from Kabalagala to the city centre a distance of only 3km, takes one-and-a-quarter hours or more. No wonder most offices have silently accepted 9am as the time for opening offices. Let the town clerk and the city engineer spearhead the re-introduction of large buses which more people.M.K. Tibabiganya, Kampala

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