Discussions are in the early stages to make lead cars only compulsory for the President and First Lady, Dr. Steven Kasiima, the Director of Traffic Uganda Police Force has said.
According to the daily traffic reports, jam is normally caused by lead cars, which tend to violate traffic laws.
In 2016, the then Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, directed traffic officers to arrest and prosecute drivers of vehicles with illegal sirens, roof lights and left lead cars to specific government officials such as Chief Justice, Prime Minister, IGP and Deputy, Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, Vice President, President and First Lady.
Currently, Kayihura’s directive seems null and void with lead cars almost everywhere again, according to Kasiima.
“We want to make a case that lead cars are left for only the President and the First Lady because they cause a lot of disorganisation on the roads. Lead cars are very many we need to reduce on them if we are to be clear on standards of road usage,” he said at the second National Road Safety Summit 2019 on Tuesday in Kampala.
On the increasing accidents, Kasiima said many cars are in poor condition yet they are still in usage.
“We must have safe vehicles on the road but this cannot be achieved without inspection facilities since in Uganda we just talk but the action is poor.”
However, Kampala Minister Beti Kamya blamed the security protocol given to them for the confusion.
“My security team breaks traffic rules but I told them that I want to be a good citizen. They then told me that it is part of their training and also added that ‘security of the principal’ is paramount,” she said.
Ronald Amanyire, the Secretary of the National Road Safety Council said all stakeholders must be involved so the common objectives are formed if Uganda is to be saved form increasing road fatalities.
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