The Minister of State for Works and Transport, Hon.Fred Byamukama has said 95 percent of Boda Boda riders in Kampala are mentally incapacitated, which has resulted in the rampant and increased cases of fatal road accidents across Kampala City and its environs.
Minister Byamukama made the observation while officiating as Guest of honor, on behalf of the Works and Transport Minister, Gen. Katumba Wamala, at the launch of the Global Review on Road Traffic Safety and Successful Establishment of Safe School Zones Report, at Kampala Hotel Africana on Thursday.
The report was compiled by Hope for Victims of Traffic Accidents (HOVITA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) whose objective is to protect school going children from being targets of road carnage countrywide. Hon. Byamukama said majority Boda Boda riders who operate in Kampala come from upcountry districts, with bad criminal records.
“A total of 170 Boda Boda riders the Ministry of Works and Transport interrogated recently do not come from Kampala City. The criminals who escape from upcountry villages find themselves hiding in Kampala as Boda Boda riders, which is a big challenge that Government and other stakeholders should endeavor to find a remedy,”he added.
Mr. Sam Bambanza, the Executive Director,HOVITA, explained that a total of 650 children below the age of 18 died in Uganda from road accidents in 2022, while a total of 1,305 people between the ages of 25 to 34 died during the same year.
“There is a need for enforcement of road users to respect pedestrians on crosswalks and speed limits should be enforced for drivers and motorcycle riders, plus respect for visible road signs and traffic lights,”he said.
Mr. Bambanza tasked the Government to allocate sufficient funding for the construction and maintenance of sidewalks, crosswalks, speed bumps and other traffic measures in all urban cities, where school going children are vulnerable to irresponsible motorists.
“This should be emphasized in both urban and rural areas where the majority of school going children reside”, he added.
He recommended for a 30 Kilometer per hour (30KM/HR) speed limit in School zones, use of children crossing supervisors and the accompaniment of young ones to school by parents or guardians among others,
The Report Lunch was attended by a cross section of parliamentarians, civil society and Uganda Police Force (UPF) representatives among others.
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