By: Suzan Kobusingye
Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) has expressed deep concern over the high number of road traffic accidents in the country. This comes following a recent report by Traffic Police that revealed over 80 people died in accidents between July 7th and 13th, 2024, the party has called for urgent government action.
“The Party extends heartfelt condolences to families that lost their loved ones in such fatal accidents and quick recovery to those hospitalized nursing wounds in different hospitals,” said party spokesperson Sharon Oyat Arach.
According to Arach, the government needs to take urgent action to address the presence of heavy trucks on narrow and weak roads, besides reckless driving, which is seen as the biggest contributor to road crashes countrywide.
To address this, Arach implored the government to expedite the process of the Standard Gauge Railway and Metter Gauge as an alternative and cheaper means of transportation of goods and people. “This will reduce the number of heavy trucks on our roads and make them safer for all users,” she explained.
Furthermore, Arach called on the government to ensure that all roads are in good shape and meet the required standards in the region of East Africa, as opposed to lagging behind.
She also suggested exploring other transportation modes, such as water and air, to reduce reliance on the roads. “Other modes of transport like water and Air should be explored, especially domestic flights by Uganda Airlines,” she stated.
Additionally, Arach commended the army for arresting an individual impersonating as an army officer and committing crimes. “Alittle more efforts is needed by all security agencies to stop this kind of criminality in the entire country.” She said
