Juba accident: 27 killed on their way to Uganda
Sep 29, 2014
Up to 27 people have been reported dead in a road accident on their way from neighbouring South Sudan to Uganda.
By John Masaba & Dennis Ojwee
Up to 27 people have been reported dead in a road accident on their way from neighbouring South Sudan to Uganda.
The victims, according to traffic police, were onboard a Bakulu bus of registration number UAS 073P.
Seventeen other passengers reportedly survived with serious injuries and were rushed back to Juba for treatment.
Traffic officer William Awen, who is in charge of the Nimule-Juba highway, said the bus collided with a trailer early on Monday.
He told New Vision the fatal collision occurred at about 7.00am local time on a bridge at the Nsitu junction, 15 kilometres out of Juba.
Awen said the driver of the trailer was driving on the left-hand side instead of the right as the South Sudan traffic laws require.
Meanwhile, Yahaya Ramadan who is a bus driver with Friendship Bus, a bus company that plies the Juba route also said the accident happened in the morning.
He said the bus was returning to Uganda when it collided with trailer which he said was towing another trailer that had broken down along the way.
Most of the dead were reportedly Ugandan business people returning to Uganda.
Speed governors ignored
Police Commisioner for traffic, Steven Kasima, declined to comment saying the accident happened out of his area of jurisdiction.
“I work for Uganda Police and my area stops at the border point of Elegu. I can’t know what has happened beyond Uganda’s borders. Call our embassy in Sudan if you want information,” he said.
Kiwanuka Hannington, National Chairman of Uganda Bus Driver and Allied Association, an umbrella body of Ugandan bus drivers told New Vision that the accident could have been avoided had Police maintained its tough stance on enforcing route charts.
“We know many buses that have been abusing the regulations and some police officers along the route know them but they are doing nothing.”
He said further that some buses have ignored the speed governor and drive at speeds beyond the 80km per hour speed allowed under the traffic rules.
Juba route is one of the accident prone routes.
In 2011 at least 28 people, 11 Sudanese nationals and 17 Ugandans were killed when two buses collided at a checkpoint approximately 40km east of South Sudan’s capital, Juba.
The accident which occurred along the 192km Juba-Nimule road involved coaches from the Bakulu and Baby coach companies.
Later the licenses of both buses were revoked by Ministry of Works and Transport but they were later reinstated after a few weeks.