By Morish Dramadri

Arua

In a bid to curb the increasing number of road carnage in Uganda, the Directorate of Traffic and safety has embarked on sensitization of the road users across the country on their roles in ensuring road safety and reducing the death toll in accidents.

In Uganda’s recent traffic accident report, a total of 432 accidents were recorded, with 97 being fatal, 202 were serious, and 133 were minor.
Speaking during an engagement with the drivers and cyclists in Arua city, on Wednesday 19^th July 2023, the spokesperson of the Directorate of Traffic and road safety, Superintendent of Police Michael Kananura reveals that many road users blame the traffic police for the accidents on the roads yet they do not know their roles in curbing accidents. “We were losing on daily basis about 12 people.

So we are looking for how best we can curb down these road accidents through community sensitizations.  There have been situation where drivers and the entire community have been blaming the traffic police, every hour and then not knowing that they also have a role to play. When we look at the causes of these accidents they are basically over speeding and careless driving,” SP. Kananura stated.

But Candiru Fatima a female Boda boda rider in the city in her submission accused the drivers of Government and Non-Governmental organization vehicles for over speeding and lack of respect for other road users hence causing accidents. “I know police and some members of the community are complaining blaming us the boda bodas but sometimes the drivers of these government and NGO vehicles, sometimes you see these drivers driving while they are on phone and they are over speeding not even respecting us the boda bodas and other road users and they cause accidents on the roads”, Candiru observed.


Candiru Fatuma, a bodaboda rider during the engagement

On the same account, Adiga Muhammad a long experienced driver in the city since 1997, attributes the high rate of accident to drunkardness of both pedestrians and driver and request for the establishment of alcohol gagets in every taxi park to test the drivers. “In our area here, most accidents we get from the drunkard people and what is their charge? I am requesting if possible there should be alcohol gages in every taxi park so that every driver is tested before accessing a vehicle”, Adiga demanded.

The Inspector of Vehicles (IOV) through the Directorate of Traffic and Road safety has therefore set plans to crackdown on vehicle under Dangerous Mechanical condition as a measure to combat the road carnages in the country effective 20^th July 2023.

COVER PHOTO: Official of Uganda police force directorate of traffic and road safety during the engagement with road users in Arua city By Morish Dramadri