Africa-Press – Uganda. At least 20,000 people lost lives along the Northern Corridor last year, officials from the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Association have revealed.
The 12,000-kilometre transit and transport route links the port of Mombasa in Kenya to East African Community (EAC) member states, including Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo and South Sudan.
Mr Omae Nyarandi, the executive secretary of the association, said: “We continue to record several fatal accidents along this Northern Corridor route and that is why we are here to launch the campaign on road safety.”
Mr Nyarandi said they last year carried out eyesight checks on 800 truck drivers and 240 had bad eyesight and are receiving treatment.
He added that they were setting up road rest stations with washrooms, where truck drivers refresh before they embark on the journey.
Mr Nyarandi said Uganda has more than 2,000kms of the Northern Corridor road that goes through Kenya, while Rwanda, Burundi, the DR Congo and South Sudan account for close to 10,000kms.
In terms of trade from Mombasa, he said Uganda accounts for a total of eight million tonnes of goods.
The road safety campaign is being undertaken in partnership with the Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra), Uganda National Transport Association and the Uganda Police.
Mr William Busolu, the chairperson of Uganda National Transport Association, attributed the high number of accidents to drug abuse and lack of rest for the truck drivers.
Mr Busolu said: “We are telling truck drivers to have enough rest and not to resort to drugs as a way of beating sleep because the only solution is to sleep and not drugs.”
“Last year, we had 4,000 fatal accidents in Uganda alone, which accounts for 15 fatal accidents every day,” he said.
Mr Busolu said they would set up 25 rest stations for truck drivers in Uganda.
He said they were in the process of setting up laws that govern the drivers’ road rest stations, and liaise with the police to arrest reckless drivers.
The truck drivers, however, said the bad roads and lack of proper road markings are to blame for the accidents.
Mr Zadock Magina, one of the truck drivers, said many roads are in a bad state, which is a challenge at night.
Mr Nasser Balikuluya, another truck driver, asked authorities to focus on drivers of small passenger vehicles, saying majority lack driving permits and are reckless.
Mr Rahman Mukungu, also a truck driver, said vandalising road signs had become rampant in the region.
“Road signs are very important because they tell you that you are approaching a sharp bend, school, hump or bridge; but where they have been vandalised provides a challenge to the truck drivers,” Mr Mukungu said.
Laws
Under the various legal regimes on road safety such as the Roads Act, UNRA Act, Traffic and Road Safety Act, among others and under the UN Development Goals; SDG 3.6 and SDG 11.2, which seek to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport by 2030, it is the government’s responsibility to provide safe and adequate infrastructure.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
