Prime
Road safety activists call for policy to reduce crashes
Rescue team search for survivors in the wreckage of the vehicles that collided along Masaka-Mbarara road, killing nine people on the spot on April 7, 2023. PHOTO/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Mr Tayebwa emphasised that regardless of one's position, Ugandans must come together to fight reckless road usage.
The Executive Director of Hope for Victims of Traffic Accidents (HOVITA), Mr Sam Bambaza, has urged the government to establish and implement safe school zones with a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour to reduce road fatalities and injuries, especially among children and young people.
Mr Bambaza made this plea while launching the Global review report on traffic crashes and successful establishment of safe school zones at Hotel Africana on July 27.
He said there is need to develop policy guidelines and regulations for safe school zones in the country.
The report reveals that in the last two years (2021 and 2022), Uganda has lost 2,008 people (between 18 to 34 years) to accidents alone.
During the same period, 650 children (below the age of 18) died in road crashes. The report highlights the importance of establishing and implementing safe zones in Uganda to protect the lives of school-going children.
It also presents several policy options, including infrastructure development, public awareness campaigns, capacity building, stakeholder collaboration, and monitoring and evaluation.
The report further notes that effective implementation of these policies and the achievement of safer roads for Uganda's school-going children will require collaboration among government agencies, local communities, and international road safety organisations.
In relation to this, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa referred to this cause, alongside environmental protection, as a collective responsibility for everyone. He made this statement while flagging off Mr Joseph Beyanga, aka Joe Walker, for his 220km walk to Mbale in February this year.
Mr Tayebwa emphasised that regardless of one's position, Ugandans must come together to fight reckless road usage.
