Sustain vehicle crackdown
Apr 28, 2006
DOZENS OF vehicles have been impounded in Kampala in a crackdown on drivers flouting traffic safety regulations.
DOZENS OF vehicles have been impounded in Kampala in a crackdown on drivers flouting traffic safety regulations.
The vehicles had no valid road licences, speed governors, or seat belts, and some drivers were found not to have driving permits or to have failed to pay traffic fines. Most of the impounded cars were public service vehicles, though many were private cars.
This is good, though it should not be limited to Kampala. Many defaulting vehicles tend to ply the highways, while there is also a disconcerting tendency to send ageing vehicles to the rural countryside and the smaller urban centres upcountry. The current operation should therefore be a coordinated effort countrywide.
The exercise has also come at a time when there has been an evident relaxation that had threatened road safety. The seat belt and speed governor rules together with motorcycle helmet regulations were launched with much pomp and ceremony last year, prompting especially owners of public service vehicles to invest in these safety measures. But as the travelling public complained about hygiene, or the lack of it, and the police became less vigilant, a laxity set in with both passenger and driver/conductor.
The other regulation that is regularly flouted, not so much in public service vehicles as private cars, is the mobile phone rule. It is a very common sight for people to be seen talking into their phones while driving.
Now that the grace period has expired, the police and other enforcement authorities (UTODA, the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association, should emphasise the regulations in seminars) should not sit back ever again, but be very vigilant and forceful. Only then will a culture of compliance be built, but this takes time.
The vehicles had no valid road licences, speed governors, or seat belts, and some drivers were found not to have driving permits or to have failed to pay traffic fines. Most of the impounded cars were public service vehicles, though many were private cars.
This is good, though it should not be limited to Kampala. Many defaulting vehicles tend to ply the highways, while there is also a disconcerting tendency to send ageing vehicles to the rural countryside and the smaller urban centres upcountry. The current operation should therefore be a coordinated effort countrywide.
The exercise has also come at a time when there has been an evident relaxation that had threatened road safety. The seat belt and speed governor rules together with motorcycle helmet regulations were launched with much pomp and ceremony last year, prompting especially owners of public service vehicles to invest in these safety measures. But as the travelling public complained about hygiene, or the lack of it, and the police became less vigilant, a laxity set in with both passenger and driver/conductor.
The other regulation that is regularly flouted, not so much in public service vehicles as private cars, is the mobile phone rule. It is a very common sight for people to be seen talking into their phones while driving.
Now that the grace period has expired, the police and other enforcement authorities (UTODA, the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association, should emphasise the regulations in seminars) should not sit back ever again, but be very vigilant and forceful. Only then will a culture of compliance be built, but this takes time.