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Black spots to watch out for on roads
Safety. A section of the Kampala-Masaka Highway at Kalandazi swamp, which is one of the black spot. PHOTO BY SADAT MBOGO
What you need to know:
Concern. There is an increasing number of road accidents, especially in the festive season.
According to the Annual Police Crime Report 2017, there were 13,244 accidents recorded last year. A total of 3,500 people among them drivers, motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, passengers on motorcycles and pedestrians died in 3,051 accidents.
The report shows passengers are the biggest victims of road accidents. A total of 1,179 accidents was registered in December only. Careless driving accounted for 42 per cent, followed by reckless driving at 34 per cent.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police Traffic enforcement, Mr Charles Ssebambulidde, said they will deploy at the black spots to reduce accidents.
During the Christmas season many will be travelling up-country with their loved ones. Motorists, especially bus and taxi drivers, will be tempted to speed and make more money on return journeys.
Daily monitor interviewed Mr Ssebambulidde and several police officers who man traffic on different highways and they identified the black spots on our roads.
Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway
Budo
The Buddo Junction on Masaka Road is a blind corner.
Nakati
This is at the climbing lane with a big corner after St Lawrence schools, in Mpigi District.
Katende
At Katende in Mpigi District vehicles from Masaka cannot see on coming traffic because of a valley. Motorists from Kampala are tempted to overtake only to get into a collision with traffic from Masaka.
Mpigi Junction
At the junction to Mpigi, there are many vehicles turning off to Mpigi and Gomba.
Kampiringisa
Drivers speed along this stretch unaware of a sharp corner at the end.
Kalagala
This junction at Kalagala is in the trading centre. Traffic police usually deploy an officer with a speed gun to stop drivers from speeding.
Kadduggala
The black spot is commonly referred to as the Basudde corner. This is where former local musician, Herman Basudde died. This black spot stretches from Bajja to the junction to Nabugabo Beach in Masaka.
Nyendo
The roundabout in Nyendo in Masaka at Total filling station, with the connecting by-pass to Mbarara. “Drivers must know there is a corner, if they fail then they will end up driving into Total petrol station,” Mr Ssebambulidde warns.
Kyabakuza
The road through Kyabakuza, Nkoni, Kyojja, Kinoni and Mbirizi up to Lwengo has many humps.
Kyabogo
There is a huge bend and motorists usually tend to speed.
Mbarara-Ntungamo-Kabale highway
Mbarara
There is a black spot near the entrance to Mbarara Town, where the expressway and the old road meet. According to Mr Ssebambulidde, motorists approaching this spot need to reduce speed to understand how to use the by-pass.
Bushenyi junction
There is another black spot at the junction that separates Bushenyi road from Kabale road.
The Ntungamo–Rukungiri junction is a black spot.
Kabale
In Kabale, the hills of Kabalaga have many junctions.
Kampala-Mityana highway
Mityana highway also has a number of black spots and most accidents are blamed on speeding.
Kiwawu
This is a hill and motorists cannot see on-coming traffic. Traffic police say there is need for a climbing lane to avoid accidents.
Kyengeza
This is a blind corner at Kyengezi, motorists ought to be careful.
Zigoti
Traffic police attribute accidents here to a large population. Pedestrians and most especially drunkards are usually knocked dead as they cross the road.
Kagavu
The place is also a black spot, it has a guard line to control speed.
Nakitooro
This is a valley and drivers who insist on overtaking usually cause accidents.
Ndibulungi
The spot has a corner. Traffic police attributed the accidents to impatience when drivers find traffic. Police want a climbing lane constructed.
Wabigalo
Boda boda accidents are common here and pedestrians crossing the road are the victims. This spot usually has a market day every two weeks on Wednesdays.
Buswabulongo
The stretch to Mityana right from Wabigalo to Buswabulongo. The police want humps constructed.
Kikumbi
There is another busy junction due to a school. Traffic police say there is need to build a proper drainage so that water does not flood the road.
Naama
There are wrong road markings showing drivers can overtake yet there is a blind corner. Drivers cannot see on-coming traffic.
Kamajungo swamp
This is a long swamp stretch. Traffic police advises motorists not to speed.
Kampala-Gulu highway
Bombo Road
The northern route is usually congested by heavy vehicles travelling to northern Uganda and beyond on a narrow road.
Kakerenge
There is a black spot at 19 miles on the Kampala – Bombo Road at a place called Nanywa. Some people call it Kakerenge. This sharp corner is what claimed the lives of four students of Ndejje Secondary School mid this year. Drivers into Kampala tend to speed.
Sanamu valley
This is a junction to Bombo Town. Traffic police usually register accidents as motorists try to branch off to Bombo Town and Bombo Military Barracks.
Sinalya
According to the district traffic officer of Luweero, Mr Willy Abaha, It is a steep hill and heavy vehicles usually breakdown midway. The road section is narrow.
Nkondo
Accidents occur as vehicles overtake on the narrow road.
Kibisi – Kaswa
This is a black spot in Wobulenzi that registers many accidents. In 2016, it claimed the lives of 14 relatives from Mukono who were returning from attending a funeral.
Kikoma
This is a sharp corner just before Wobulenzi.
Kiwumpa – Naluvule
This is a busy area without speed limit posts and humps.
Kasana – Luweero
This is a township on a highway and many accidents occur because there are no road signs.
Nakazzi – Kyevunze
It is at the bridge with no sign. “The signal that warns motorists is exactly at the entrance to the bridge. This is useless because motorists are not warned in time to be aware of traffic,” Mr Abaha said.
Bombo-Gulu highway
Nnalongo spot. Ndibulungi is a blind corner. Over speeding motorists have lost their lives here.
Ngaju
There is another black spot after the corner to the Chinese rich scheme.
In Nakasongola
Some of these black spots are Kakoge, Kyabutayika after Kakoge and Katugo Trading Centre at a junction to Kaweweta Training School.
Other black spots are Kyankonwa, Migyera, Kapa – Buruli, Kyamukonda, Kyamukama, Bujabe and Kafu.
The Kampala-Iganga highway
According to the traffic police, there are a number of black spots along the eastern route. Police blame the rampant road accidents on lack of signs.
Bulyantete
Kitegga is a spot about 2km to Lugazi Town. This is at the corner next to UPDF Engineering Brigade headquarters. Much of this road had road signage but they were vandalised. Most of the people using this road are unfamiliar with it. There are no road markings.
Kisagazi
It has no road signs. There other black spots in the Mabira forest stretch, Kitigoma, Nakibizzi and Mbiko. Police attribute road accidents on Jinja Road to speeding and the heavy human traffic at Najjembe and Namawojjolo.
Iganga
Namasoga has sharp corners and two blind corners. Nakavule is on a highway and people are usually knocked branching to Kumi University.
Busoba swamp
Trailers speeding lose control and overturn.
In Bugiri
Kibimba bridge has a straight road and speeding trailers.
Tirinyi Road
It is smooth, drivers tend to speed.
THE LIST
Masaka Road: Budo, Nakati, Katende, Mpigi, Kampiringisa, Kalagala, Kadduggala, Nyendo, Kyabakuza and Kyabogo.
Masaka to Mbarara: Entrance to Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ntungamo – Rukungiri junction and Kabale.
Kampala – Mityana highway: Kiwawu, Kyengeza, Zigoti, Kagavu, Nakitooro, Ndibulungi, Wabigalo, Buswabulongo, Kikumbi, Naama and Kamajungo swamp.
Kampala – Gulu: Kakerenge, The Sanamu valley, Sinalya, Nkondo, Kibisi – Kaswa, Kikoma, Busanza – Lukomera, Kiwumpa – Naluvule, Kasana – Luwero, Nakazzi – Kyevunze and Nakasongola.
Jinja Road: Kitegga, Kisagazi, Mabira, Kitigoma, Nakibizzi, Mbiko, Najjembe and Namawojjolo.
Tirinyi Road: Busharifu, Nawaibete, Karamira, Kadankala and Mpologoma bridge.
Iganga to Busia.Namasoga, Walugogo, Nakavule and Busesa.
In Bugiri: Kibimba bridge, Idudi hump and Busoba swamp.
