‘Good roads have increased accidents’
Jun 17, 2009
IMPROVED roads are increasing accidents, works minister John Nasasira has said. He said people drive recklessly because of the smooth roads. Nasasira noted that accidents increased from 5,674 in 1990 to 17, 422 in 2007, the number of deaths from 778 to 2,
By Joel Ogwang
IMPROVED roads are increasing accidents, works minister John Nasasira has said. He said people drive recklessly because of the smooth roads. Nasasira noted that accidents increased from 5,674 in 1990 to 17, 422 in 2007, the number of deaths from 778 to 2,334 persons.
“Uganda has one of the highest number of road accidents in the world,†he said. The minister noted that the Highway Code, developed in 2005 to guide motorists, had not been disseminated.
“The code is in English and is yet to be translated into local languages that most road users understand,†he said.
Nasasira’s message was contained in a speech read by James Itazi, the transport director at the works ministry. This was during a training workshop for drivers on road safety at the Ridar Hotel in Mukono on Wednesday.
The workshop, organised by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), was educating drivers on the Highway Code and traffic regulations.
Nasasira said not even regulations compelling drivers and passengers to wear seat belts had been effective. Experience, he added, showed the success of public road safety campaigns depended on behaviour change among road users.
Peter Kirimunda, the chief of internal audit at the UNRA, noted that 10,500km of national roads carried 75% of traffic in the country.
He urged Kampala City Council to take responsibility for the city roads. “UNRA is unfairly blamed for potholes in the city, but the city council cannot come out to take responsibility. City roads are not under our care,†he said.
Barbara Mwanje, the Arrive Alive programme manager, called for more sensitisation of drivers on road safety and the Highway Code.
IMPROVED roads are increasing accidents, works minister John Nasasira has said. He said people drive recklessly because of the smooth roads. Nasasira noted that accidents increased from 5,674 in 1990 to 17, 422 in 2007, the number of deaths from 778 to 2,334 persons.
“Uganda has one of the highest number of road accidents in the world,†he said. The minister noted that the Highway Code, developed in 2005 to guide motorists, had not been disseminated.
“The code is in English and is yet to be translated into local languages that most road users understand,†he said.
Nasasira’s message was contained in a speech read by James Itazi, the transport director at the works ministry. This was during a training workshop for drivers on road safety at the Ridar Hotel in Mukono on Wednesday.
The workshop, organised by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), was educating drivers on the Highway Code and traffic regulations.
Nasasira said not even regulations compelling drivers and passengers to wear seat belts had been effective. Experience, he added, showed the success of public road safety campaigns depended on behaviour change among road users.
Peter Kirimunda, the chief of internal audit at the UNRA, noted that 10,500km of national roads carried 75% of traffic in the country.
He urged Kampala City Council to take responsibility for the city roads. “UNRA is unfairly blamed for potholes in the city, but the city council cannot come out to take responsibility. City roads are not under our care,†he said.
Barbara Mwanje, the Arrive Alive programme manager, called for more sensitisation of drivers on road safety and the Highway Code.