Africa-Press – Uganda. Last Thursday, this publication carried a story on the state of public service vehicles on our roads. It was reported that most commuter taxis are in a state of disrepair, with falling doors, broken chairs and a sharp part of the seat frame protruding outside. Most taxis that operate in Kampala City are as old as 30 years.
Surprisingly, Mr Rashid Ssekindi, the chairperson of Uganda Taxi Operators Federation, said they are aware of the aging fleet of taxis on the roads, especially in the Kampala Metropolitan area. But he offered no solution to the problem.
Also, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said they are aware of taxis in poor mechanical condition but they had not concentrate on enforcing standards in the public service sector because they were focused on streamlining the boda boda motorcycle industry.
Beware that at least 120 people lost their lives in road accidents that rocked the last days of 2022 and the 2023 debut week. It should also be noted that Uganda registered a 16.9 percent increase in road accidents in 2022, according to the latest police report. The Annual Crime Report 2022 indicates that the country registered 20,394 cases of road accidents in that year compared to 17,443 registered in 2021.
Further research also indicates that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged between five and 29, with 73 percent of all road traffic deaths occurring among young males in the age of 25. Additionally, about 93 percent of global road accident fatalities occur in developing countries such as Uganda. The World Health Organisation Global status report on road safety lists Uganda as the highest contributor of such fatalities with 29 deaths per 100km.
Some of the reasons for these road accidents include speeding, drunken-driving, ignoring traffic rules and motor vehicles being in bad mechanical conditions. We commend the government’s efforts, through the Traffic Police, for ensuring adherence to traffic laws among drivers while on the road.
It is our call that as operations in streamlining boda boda industry are ongoing, similar efforts should be put on enforcing standards in other public transport sectors, especially by phasing out very old cars on our roads to save more lives.
This should be done in a careful manner through consultation with all stakeholders to minimise interruptions in the public transport sector.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
