The Minister of Works and Transport-Uganda, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, marked the World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Crash Victims in Uganda-Sunday 17th November, 2024 with a call to action for all Ugandans to play a role in supporting Government to improve the road safety situation in the country.
General Katumba, while addressing the gathering at the memorial function hosted by the Uganda Professional Drivers’ Network (UPDN) working with their Civil Society Coalition of Road Safety NGOs in Uganda-ROSACU in partnership with both public and private sector actors at the Namayiba Bus Park on Sunday, he reiterated that everybody has a share of the burden in combatting the problems of road crashes which has consistently been on a sharp rise in Uganda-between 2022-2023; police report indicated a 16% increase.
“Today, we reflect on an issue that affects us all the devastating impact of road crashes,” Gen Wamala said. “Road crashes cause loss of life, disabilities, and emotional trauma, leaving a ripple effect on families and communities including our national economy with a current estimated burden on Government expenditures through the health sector taking up to 5% of Uganda’s GDP.” He further pointed out that the increasing fatalities, with 4,806 deaths last year 2023 and 3,241 already this year besides the year having not ended yet. These demonstrate the urgent need for action. We must address this global crisis together,” he said.
As part of the United Nations’ initiative, Uganda has pledged to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030 under SDG 3.6 and 11.2. However, the minister stressed that this could only be achieved through a collective responsibility. “Road safety is a shared duty,” he remarked. “It is not enough to rely on law enforcement alone; each road user must adhere to traffic laws and exercise caution.”
The minister also pressed for broader involvement of corporate entities, media, and religious bodies to advocate for road safety. He commended organizations like the Uganda Professional Drivers’ Network, Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Marinetime Cargo, ROSACU, Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, The Bloomberg initiative for road safety that is supporting road safety initiatives within the Kampala City, for their collaboration but stressed the importance of greater involvement, mostly because of the usually road crash prone Christmas and holiday period that is fast approaching.
Transport Commissioner, Winstone Katushabe, of the Ministry of Transport, Regulation and Safety added to the minister’s call and said that in addition to the ministry’s efforts to reduce road crashes, they are introducing an intelligence-based transport management system and fine issuance protocols.
Most importantly the Ministry of Works and Transport, according to the commissioner committed to pass and gazette the reviewed Speed Limits Regulations 2024 that had delayed before end of the year.
He concluded by thanking development partners like the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) among others for their relentless support for both the road safety civil society organisations and Government through the Ministry of Works and Transport to enable Uganda improve on the road safety legal and policy environment in Uganda, especially targeting the key behavioural risk factors. He indicated that these support to Uganda from the development partners above included capacity building for the civil society organisations in Uganda. These support, he said was the reason the country will achieve the 50/30 target.
This event that has been annually commemorated in Uganda every 3rd Sunday of November as is globally coordinated by UPDN since 2019 with the 2024 event that attracted a mass participation of over 300 participants with diverse audience. It was clear that Ugandan road safety stakeholders are committed to achieving reduced road crash injuries and deaths by 50% come 2030 as every stakeholder; The Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda Police, Civil Society Organisations in road safety, Private Sector, Victims’ representatives, drivers’ leadership, Transport owners, etc present called for each of us needing to play our roles well to be able to achieve safer roads for Uganda.
Key calls for action were on the most affected road users, the pedestrians, motorcyclists and road crash victims’ rights and access to justice;
1. Victims request for a road accident Fund as a complement for the current 3rd party insurance policy that is almost not helpful to victims
2. Need for strict laws and enforcement for motorcycle safety in Uganda, especially mandating usage of helmets for both motorcyclists and their passengers
3. Drivers’ regulation and registration for reliable practicing driver data
4. Government tasked to enforce laws on risk factors especially Speeding, to implement key aspects like reduced speed limits from 50km/hr to 30km/hr for road sections with vulnerable road users as school children, pedestrians, motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, three-wheeler,etc
The Executive Director at UPDN, Mr.Omongo Ndugu when contacted; posed concern over lack of involvement for local governments and urban authorities which are largely in charge of their local roads into road safety management. He said, the country would achieve limited impact without meaningful involvement of local government authorities to complement the currently over centralised road safety management.
Gen. Wamala mentioned that they would soon resume routine vehicles inspections, and the strict enforcement of the provision on key risk factors including Speeding, Blood Alcohol Content, Helmet use, Seatbelts and child restraints.
He also expressed that transport companies should play a crucial role in reducing driver fatigue, a known risk factor in Uganda, by the application of relief driver systems.
On the emergency response towards road crash victims in Uganda, the minister condemned the exploitation of the victims, and he stated that there is a need for social adaptation for all victims-embracing empathy. He informed that one of the measures will be the inflow of more ambulances on major highways to respond to road crash victims.
Regarding motorcycles, he highlighted new regulations that require motorcycle dealers to provide two helmets with each sale including the condition for standard Helmets as the helmet standards regulations for Uganda was recently as well updated and this will be enforced through the National Bureau of Standards.
The Uganda’s Director of Traffic and Road Safety, Nuwabiine Lawrance also highlighted the efforts of the Traffic Police, who, through research and data collection, have gathered essential information on road safety. He appealed to the public to listen to the traffic police and underscored the responsibility of urban authorities, criticizing their failure to follow ministerial directives, such as removing roadside markets that obstruct traffic.
“We have to admit, that pedestrians take the second place in road accident deaths after motorcyclists, this includes those doing businesses on road sides. We have had it with seeing the mass of people who are daily disabled as a result of these scuffles. This hurts labour productivity and the general economy development of the country as well,” he said.
He added that Road users are human beings, full of contradictions and stubbornness, and need a comprehensive monitoring system to change their behaviour. “It’s not enough to build good roads and put-up road signs. Road users need to see enforcement only then will they behave responsibly.”
The clergymen who participated in the commemoration, such as the Vicar General of the Kampala Archdiocese, Msgr. Charles Kasibante, and Sheikh Mohammed Ali Waiswa from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, held the ground. The two agreed that the Ugandans should remember to make God their priority when travelling. They brought to attention that all the fuelled engines, vehicles, and machines, have the chance to cause road crash injuries and deaths if they are not controlled with proper care and responsibility.
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