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We need solution to students getting injured in accidents
One of the students who survived a road crash after the truck they were travelling in overturned being referred from Kiboga General Hospital to Hoima Regional Hospital to further management PHOTO/EDISON NDYASIIMA
What you need to know:
- The issue: Road accidents.
- Our view: We need to have a conversation around making school buses affordable for learning institutions, especially those in rural areas. We have seen tax waivers for a certain category of car owners. Perhaps the same could be considered for buses meant for a certain category of schools.
On March 15, one student was confirmed dead and 100 others were injured after a truck in which they were travelling overturned.
James Murarira, the 16-year-old victim from St Paul Kasooro Secondary School, and his colleagues were heading to Butemba College, Butemba Town Council, Kyankwanzi District, to take part in the 2024 post primary school football contest when the driver lost control at Kasooro Village, Kikandwa Sub-county.
One of the survivors said the truck driver was speeding before he lost control and the truck overturned several times. The driver is said to have fled after the accident.
Whatever the cause of the accident, it is not the first time that students are losing their lives or getting injured while travelling on open trucks.
In August last year, more than 100 pupils of Nakhupa Primary School in Manafwa District were injured and one died on spot after a Tata truck they were travelling in overturned at Kufu Trading Centre. Survivors of the night road crash blamed the accident on speeding. The students were returning from a music, dance and drama competition.
Following two fatal motor crashes involving students of St Henry’s High School in Kinoni, Lwengo District, in 2000, the Ministry of Education banned the movement of children on open trucks. The ministry further banned transportation of pupils and students after 8pm.
Years later, however, some school, especially in rural schools, continue using trucks due to laxity in enforcing the directive.
According to government, transporting school-going children on trucks is not only a breach of traffic rules, but a threat to their safety. Government notes that since trucks are not designated to carry passengers, their crash victims cannot claim compensation.
Despite the ban, transporting learners on open trucks continues unabated, especially in the countryside. From the trend, having a ban in place alone has not been able to stop this vice from happening. Traffic police needs to ensure that government’s directive on this is enforced.
Then District Education Officers too have to ensure that schools comply, and those that are caught on the wrong side of the law are punished.
Finally, as a country we need to have a conversation around making school buses affordable for learning institutions, especially those in rural areas. We have seen tax waivers for a certain category of car owners. Perhaps the same could be considered for buses meant for a certain category of schools.
