More effort is needed to stop road accidents
May 18, 2009
I am responding to the Government’s decision to impound 40 buses belonging to Gateway Bus services and the several media reports that have blamed Gateway for the high number of accidents in the country. This is unfair. Many other transporters have been
By Hassan Isilow
I am responding to the Government’s decision to impound 40 buses belonging to Gateway Bus services and the several media reports that have blamed Gateway for the high number of accidents in the country. This is unfair. Many other transporters have been involved in more dangerous accidents.
A few months ago Jussy bus company, Swift Coaches and other buses were involved in accidents on the western route but nobody raised an eyebrow on the issue. Five years ago, a Kigali-bound Jaguar bus crashed on the western route, killing many passengers, but nothing was done.
However, if the decision to suspend Gateway’s licence was genuine, then it should teach a lesson to other transporters, whose drivers are reckless.
I suggest that the Government establishes the real cause of the many accidents on Uganda’s roads before making hasty decisions.
A few years ago, I worked as the Gateway’s operations manager and in the process studied the cause of accidents in Uganda’s transport system.
Below are some of them:
Lack of bus driving schools
There are no driving schools designed to specifically train bus drivers. As a result, most bus drivers are former cargo truck drivers, who are not experienced in transporting human beings.
Fatigue
Most bus accidents in Uganda are a result of fatigue since most bus companies employ single drivers to ply long distances yet they are required to come back to the city at 4:00am the next morning. As a result, most drivers do not get proper sleep and thus lose control on the roads causing fatal accidents. I suggest that the Government orders all bus companies plying long routes to employ two drivers to avoid exhaustion among the drivers.
Laxity among Police officers
Usually it is required by law that traffic Police officers be based at all bus terminals throughout the country. Their duty is to inspect the mechanical condition of every bus loading at the terminal. They are also required to control overloading and ensure that each bus leaving the terminal has safety belts and speed governors. Unfortunately, the officers deployed at these bus stations are there for their own personal gains of soliciting bribes.
The Government should increase road safety awareness. The Police traffic unit should also be facilitated with better patrol vehicles and speed guns to enforce traffic regulations, especially along the major highways. The Police vehicle inspection unit must be reactivated and aided to check the road-worthiness of public transport vehicles.
Lack of vigilantism
It is sad that most travellers in Uganda lack personal vigilantism, where they can collectively stop the bus or taxi driver from speeding and call the nearest Police station to arrest the culprit. Most travellers just sit quietly in buses or taxi’s while the driver is speeding, talking on the phone or even smoking. The public must realise their own safety can only be guaranteed by their own watchfulness. They should ask drivers to carry them with dignity and respect, otherwise, they will continue dying on the roads.
Hotlines
The Government should instruct all bus owners to print their hotline telephone numbers on visible places on their vehicles so that passengers can call and report bad drivers to the responsible bus company. The police should also display their hotlines on public transport vehicles so that passengers can call them in case of an emergency.
Poor management
Most public service transporters lack customer care. The owners mainly employ riffraff’s (bayaaye) to run their businesses. Most bus companies in East Africa overload and speed.
Their staff are disrespectful to their customers and other road-users, all in the name of making as much money as possible by speeding. This should stop.
The writer is a research
journalist and political analyst living in South Africa
I am responding to the Government’s decision to impound 40 buses belonging to Gateway Bus services and the several media reports that have blamed Gateway for the high number of accidents in the country. This is unfair. Many other transporters have been involved in more dangerous accidents.
A few months ago Jussy bus company, Swift Coaches and other buses were involved in accidents on the western route but nobody raised an eyebrow on the issue. Five years ago, a Kigali-bound Jaguar bus crashed on the western route, killing many passengers, but nothing was done.
However, if the decision to suspend Gateway’s licence was genuine, then it should teach a lesson to other transporters, whose drivers are reckless.
I suggest that the Government establishes the real cause of the many accidents on Uganda’s roads before making hasty decisions.
A few years ago, I worked as the Gateway’s operations manager and in the process studied the cause of accidents in Uganda’s transport system.
Below are some of them:
Lack of bus driving schools
There are no driving schools designed to specifically train bus drivers. As a result, most bus drivers are former cargo truck drivers, who are not experienced in transporting human beings.
Fatigue
Most bus accidents in Uganda are a result of fatigue since most bus companies employ single drivers to ply long distances yet they are required to come back to the city at 4:00am the next morning. As a result, most drivers do not get proper sleep and thus lose control on the roads causing fatal accidents. I suggest that the Government orders all bus companies plying long routes to employ two drivers to avoid exhaustion among the drivers.
Laxity among Police officers
Usually it is required by law that traffic Police officers be based at all bus terminals throughout the country. Their duty is to inspect the mechanical condition of every bus loading at the terminal. They are also required to control overloading and ensure that each bus leaving the terminal has safety belts and speed governors. Unfortunately, the officers deployed at these bus stations are there for their own personal gains of soliciting bribes.
The Government should increase road safety awareness. The Police traffic unit should also be facilitated with better patrol vehicles and speed guns to enforce traffic regulations, especially along the major highways. The Police vehicle inspection unit must be reactivated and aided to check the road-worthiness of public transport vehicles.
Lack of vigilantism
It is sad that most travellers in Uganda lack personal vigilantism, where they can collectively stop the bus or taxi driver from speeding and call the nearest Police station to arrest the culprit. Most travellers just sit quietly in buses or taxi’s while the driver is speeding, talking on the phone or even smoking. The public must realise their own safety can only be guaranteed by their own watchfulness. They should ask drivers to carry them with dignity and respect, otherwise, they will continue dying on the roads.
Hotlines
The Government should instruct all bus owners to print their hotline telephone numbers on visible places on their vehicles so that passengers can call and report bad drivers to the responsible bus company. The police should also display their hotlines on public transport vehicles so that passengers can call them in case of an emergency.
Poor management
Most public service transporters lack customer care. The owners mainly employ riffraff’s (bayaaye) to run their businesses. Most bus companies in East Africa overload and speed.
Their staff are disrespectful to their customers and other road-users, all in the name of making as much money as possible by speeding. This should stop.
The writer is a research
journalist and political analyst living in South Africa