Works ministry is lax!
May 28, 2008
EDITOR— Susan Kataike’s letter, “Pothole didn’t cause the crash†is unacceptable. Her assertion as a public relations officer of the works ministry is further confirmation that the ministry officials are simply armchair experts who do not know how to make our roads safer and why they are u
EDITOR— Susan Kataike’s letter, “Pothole didn’t cause the crash†is unacceptable. Her assertion as a public relations officer of the works ministry is further confirmation that the ministry officials are simply armchair experts who do not know how to make our roads safer and why they are unsafe.
They also do not want to take responsibility! Kataike’s letter suggests that her opinion is based on hearsay. On May 4, I survived by a whisker. I was nearly rolled over by a trailer at this very spot! My timely decision to drive off the road into the bush is the reason I am still alive.
Yes, the trailer was speeding but the real cause of this near-fatal accident was because I slowed down to avoid hitting the deep multiple potholes and the trailer driver, for some reason failed to slow down.
Two days earlier, I learnt, a trailer had knocked a taxi from behind at this very spot, critically injuring many people. The May 7 tragic accident that killed six people was certainly caused by the potholes. The trailer lost control after hitting the multiple potholes! The driver could have been “free-wheeling†but that is beside the point.
Most accidents in these places have been caused by careless overtaking at blind spots. So what does the works ministry do? They have constructed bus terminals and passenger walkways like parking was the cause of accidents!
I would have expected the engineers to separate lanes with an island for say 500 metres before and after the corner to make it impossible for anyone to overtake.
The same thing should have been done at Namawojjolo (possibly with a barrier to stop pedestrians crossing from any point), at Seeta, Mbalala and at Bulyantete just as one gets into Mabira forest.
This is the case in many countries where government take road safety seriously. Unfortunately, we live in Uganda where the works minister John Nasasira after 16 years in office and several trips abroad has brought no value to our road network! This laxity on the part of the works ministry is amazing!
Odoobo C. Bichachi
Mukono
They also do not want to take responsibility! Kataike’s letter suggests that her opinion is based on hearsay. On May 4, I survived by a whisker. I was nearly rolled over by a trailer at this very spot! My timely decision to drive off the road into the bush is the reason I am still alive.
Yes, the trailer was speeding but the real cause of this near-fatal accident was because I slowed down to avoid hitting the deep multiple potholes and the trailer driver, for some reason failed to slow down.
Two days earlier, I learnt, a trailer had knocked a taxi from behind at this very spot, critically injuring many people. The May 7 tragic accident that killed six people was certainly caused by the potholes. The trailer lost control after hitting the multiple potholes! The driver could have been “free-wheeling†but that is beside the point.
Most accidents in these places have been caused by careless overtaking at blind spots. So what does the works ministry do? They have constructed bus terminals and passenger walkways like parking was the cause of accidents!
I would have expected the engineers to separate lanes with an island for say 500 metres before and after the corner to make it impossible for anyone to overtake.
The same thing should have been done at Namawojjolo (possibly with a barrier to stop pedestrians crossing from any point), at Seeta, Mbalala and at Bulyantete just as one gets into Mabira forest.
This is the case in many countries where government take road safety seriously. Unfortunately, we live in Uganda where the works minister John Nasasira after 16 years in office and several trips abroad has brought no value to our road network! This laxity on the part of the works ministry is amazing!
Odoobo C. Bichachi
Mukono