Uganda leads Great lakes region in road accident deaths
Aug 29, 2008
ACCORDING to Police statistics, Uganda has the highest number of people dying in road accidents in the Great Lakes region, which included Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. A report presented to Parliament early this year indicates that the deaths have been rising from 778 in 1990 t
By Paul Kiwuuwa
ACCORDING to Police statistics, Uganda has the highest number of people dying in road accidents in the Great Lakes region, which included Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. A report presented to Parliament early this year indicates that the deaths have been rising from 778 in 1990 to 2,034 in 2004, while road accidents rose to 19,528 in 2006 from 5,674 in 1990.
The Commissioner for Transport Regulations in the ministry of Works, Patrick Sanya, says over sh333b has been estimated as the cost of accidents in the country annually. This includes losses like the cost of the vehicles, medical bills and loss of income and property.
Boda boda
The Commissioner for Traffic and Road safety, Steven Kasiima, blamed bodaboda (motorcyclists) as the leading direct cause of accidents. Kasiima said that boda bodas contribute 70% of all major fatal accidents. And Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba added that most of the casualty patients admitted in Mulago are victims of bodaboda accidents in the city and its suburbs.
Dr. Tito Beyeza, the head of the orthopaedic department, told the press that every month, five people die of bodaboda accidents, which implies that at least one person per week dies in the motorcycle carnage in the city.
Nabakooba said by May, about 325 people had been injured seriously as a result of bodaboda accidents. “It is either their legs that are cut or broken or injury on their spinal cords,†she said.
This justifies the current major crackdown on bodaboda riders which yielded 897 motorcycles impounded in two weeks in Kampala. 175 riders were arrested and 22 taken to court. A total of 399 spot penalty tickets were issued for offences that ranged from lack of helmets and third party to ignoring traffic lights, overloading and riding on pavements.
Why Uganda leads
The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on physical infrastructure, Nathan Byanyima, said that the causes of road accidents are reckless driving, careless pedestrians, overloading, drivers’ error, use of mobile telephones as people drive and poor road signs.
Other causes include conditions of the vehicles, weather and political interference.
“The suspension of Sections 108 to 111 of the Traffic and Road Safety Act 1998, which deal with fines for reckless driving, has created a vacuum in the law,†he says.
State minister for Works, Eng. John Byabagambi blames the deteriorating state of roads on the rising fleet of vehicles being imported into the country.
“Many of our roads were built 20 years ago when Uganda had only 30,000 vehicles. Today, there are about 600,000.â€
On the other hand, Franklin Kugonza, acting officer in charge of Inspectorate of motor vehicles, says the mechanical condition of the majority of imported used vehicles is questionable.
“Over 90% of imported used cars can hardly qualify for a certificate of fitness. These cars come with loose suspensions systems, brake dysfunction, engine problems among others.â€
The Shell report
In March, Shell Uganda Limited launched a driver’s guide and a video, highlighting 247 accident black spots country wide.
“The guide will help all the road users to detect the black spots and drive carefully to reduce fatal road accidents which have claimed many lives,†Shell country director Ivan Kyayonka said during the launch at Hotel Africana Kampala.
According to the guide book Black Spots on Uganda Roads, a total of 345 people died and 1,091 were injured at different spots on major roads between 2004 and 2006. The Kampala-Jinja Road was the most dangerous claiming 185 people and injuring 550.
Shell transport operations manager, Nathan Kagiri, said all stake holders involved in fighting road accidents would obtain a free copy at Shell headquarters Kampala.
The Shell guide book compiled statistics of deaths and injuries which took place between 2004 and 2006 and suggested solutions at specific black spots.
The book says the Kampala-Jinja-Busia Road has the most black spots, 32, followed by Kampala-Masaka Road, 24, Kampala-Gulu with 21, Kampala-Mubende, 19, and Kampala-Hoima 17. Others include Jinja-Kamuli with 14, Karuma-Arua, 12, while Kampala-Entebbe, Mbale-Soroti, Mukono-Kayunga and Kampala-Fort Portal roads each have 10 black spots.
Masaka-Mbarara, Kampala-Mistyana-Mubende and Jinja-Iganga each have nine spots. Busitema-Malaba is the least with three spots.
Solutions
The book offers solutions to drivers which range from reduced speed, giving way, desisting from overtaking to driving anticipatively.
At Mabira forest, which has claimed 58 and injured 14 in the last two years, the guide recommends that drivers should reduce on speed, remain alert and drive cautiously. The black spot, 50km on Jinja Road, has sharp bends, slopes, blind spots created by bends and trees, free wheeling heavy trucks and over speeding vehicles. Other factors include dangerously loaded sugar cane tractors with poor signaling. Most accidents have occurred at the section near the Police post.
The second most dangerous black spot is Kitenga where 48 people have lost their lives and 97 got injured. The road is slippery and has a sharp bend yet vehicles speed and free wheeling heavy trucks are many. Drivers are advised not to overtake and should watch out for advancing vehicles.
The Parliamentary Committee on infrastructure gave 21 recommendations including the need for a policy regulation requiring all motorists to undergo mandatory tests before they are issued with heir driving permits or before they are renewed.
Other recommendations include reviewing all driving schools, setting up of hotlines where bad drivers can he reported, empowering traffic police with authority to de-register vehicles in dangerous mechanical conditions and mandating courts to cancel licenses of bad drivers for specific periods
What the police say about road traffic accidents
The Regional Traffic Police Officer for Kampala, Lawrence Niwabine, proposed the following responses:
The T-junction where Lugogo bypass starts off Jinja Road is one of the most dangerous black spots. Vehicles joining the Jinja Road highway cause many fatal accidents. Vehicles speed down Lugogo and sometimes collide with impatient drivers who make wrong decisions in entering or cutting across the highway. About 20 people died at the spot last year
Most of the highways and city roads are in shambles. All roads need refurbishing. The works ministry must re-seal all the potholes and widen all the narrow roads country wide.
Ministry of Works must put road signs instead of commercial adverts, covering or replacing strategic areas.
Boda bodas should be removed from most of the urban centres. Most of them are young risk takers without valid driving permits who end up causing most of the accidents due to negligence.
Before KCC approves plans by property developers, they must ensure that basement car parks are utilised for their right purposes, not for opening shops. This contributes to the rising traffic jams which cause impatience that affects driver decisions, cause accidents and hold up ambulances.
Road side markets approved by urban and municipal authorities like in Lukaya, along Masaka Road, Namawojjolo, along Jinja Road, Kyabakuza (Mbarara highway), should be discouraged. Many people die as they try to sell merchandise.
Most of the vehicles imported into the country must be subjected to safety standards measures. Most of them are in dangerous mechanical condition but looking good on the surface. All imported vehicles should be inspected and given certificate of fitness which should be continuously assessed.
All stakeholders like the national road safety council, Uganda Transport Owners and Drivers Association, the works ministry, motorcyclists and the general public should be sensitised about traffic regulations.
Humps should he put in certain places especially where most school children cross the roads.
ACCORDING to Police statistics, Uganda has the highest number of people dying in road accidents in the Great Lakes region, which included Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. A report presented to Parliament early this year indicates that the deaths have been rising from 778 in 1990 to 2,034 in 2004, while road accidents rose to 19,528 in 2006 from 5,674 in 1990.
The Commissioner for Transport Regulations in the ministry of Works, Patrick Sanya, says over sh333b has been estimated as the cost of accidents in the country annually. This includes losses like the cost of the vehicles, medical bills and loss of income and property.
Boda boda
The Commissioner for Traffic and Road safety, Steven Kasiima, blamed bodaboda (motorcyclists) as the leading direct cause of accidents. Kasiima said that boda bodas contribute 70% of all major fatal accidents. And Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba added that most of the casualty patients admitted in Mulago are victims of bodaboda accidents in the city and its suburbs.
Dr. Tito Beyeza, the head of the orthopaedic department, told the press that every month, five people die of bodaboda accidents, which implies that at least one person per week dies in the motorcycle carnage in the city.
Nabakooba said by May, about 325 people had been injured seriously as a result of bodaboda accidents. “It is either their legs that are cut or broken or injury on their spinal cords,†she said.
This justifies the current major crackdown on bodaboda riders which yielded 897 motorcycles impounded in two weeks in Kampala. 175 riders were arrested and 22 taken to court. A total of 399 spot penalty tickets were issued for offences that ranged from lack of helmets and third party to ignoring traffic lights, overloading and riding on pavements.
Why Uganda leads
The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on physical infrastructure, Nathan Byanyima, said that the causes of road accidents are reckless driving, careless pedestrians, overloading, drivers’ error, use of mobile telephones as people drive and poor road signs.
Other causes include conditions of the vehicles, weather and political interference.
“The suspension of Sections 108 to 111 of the Traffic and Road Safety Act 1998, which deal with fines for reckless driving, has created a vacuum in the law,†he says.
State minister for Works, Eng. John Byabagambi blames the deteriorating state of roads on the rising fleet of vehicles being imported into the country.
“Many of our roads were built 20 years ago when Uganda had only 30,000 vehicles. Today, there are about 600,000.â€
On the other hand, Franklin Kugonza, acting officer in charge of Inspectorate of motor vehicles, says the mechanical condition of the majority of imported used vehicles is questionable.
“Over 90% of imported used cars can hardly qualify for a certificate of fitness. These cars come with loose suspensions systems, brake dysfunction, engine problems among others.â€
The Shell report
In March, Shell Uganda Limited launched a driver’s guide and a video, highlighting 247 accident black spots country wide.
“The guide will help all the road users to detect the black spots and drive carefully to reduce fatal road accidents which have claimed many lives,†Shell country director Ivan Kyayonka said during the launch at Hotel Africana Kampala.
According to the guide book Black Spots on Uganda Roads, a total of 345 people died and 1,091 were injured at different spots on major roads between 2004 and 2006. The Kampala-Jinja Road was the most dangerous claiming 185 people and injuring 550.
Shell transport operations manager, Nathan Kagiri, said all stake holders involved in fighting road accidents would obtain a free copy at Shell headquarters Kampala.
The Shell guide book compiled statistics of deaths and injuries which took place between 2004 and 2006 and suggested solutions at specific black spots.
The book says the Kampala-Jinja-Busia Road has the most black spots, 32, followed by Kampala-Masaka Road, 24, Kampala-Gulu with 21, Kampala-Mubende, 19, and Kampala-Hoima 17. Others include Jinja-Kamuli with 14, Karuma-Arua, 12, while Kampala-Entebbe, Mbale-Soroti, Mukono-Kayunga and Kampala-Fort Portal roads each have 10 black spots.
Masaka-Mbarara, Kampala-Mistyana-Mubende and Jinja-Iganga each have nine spots. Busitema-Malaba is the least with three spots.
Solutions
The book offers solutions to drivers which range from reduced speed, giving way, desisting from overtaking to driving anticipatively.
At Mabira forest, which has claimed 58 and injured 14 in the last two years, the guide recommends that drivers should reduce on speed, remain alert and drive cautiously. The black spot, 50km on Jinja Road, has sharp bends, slopes, blind spots created by bends and trees, free wheeling heavy trucks and over speeding vehicles. Other factors include dangerously loaded sugar cane tractors with poor signaling. Most accidents have occurred at the section near the Police post.
The second most dangerous black spot is Kitenga where 48 people have lost their lives and 97 got injured. The road is slippery and has a sharp bend yet vehicles speed and free wheeling heavy trucks are many. Drivers are advised not to overtake and should watch out for advancing vehicles.
The Parliamentary Committee on infrastructure gave 21 recommendations including the need for a policy regulation requiring all motorists to undergo mandatory tests before they are issued with heir driving permits or before they are renewed.
Other recommendations include reviewing all driving schools, setting up of hotlines where bad drivers can he reported, empowering traffic police with authority to de-register vehicles in dangerous mechanical conditions and mandating courts to cancel licenses of bad drivers for specific periods
What the police say about road traffic accidents
The Regional Traffic Police Officer for Kampala, Lawrence Niwabine, proposed the following responses: