Columnists
Monday Akol Amazima- Accidents:Uganda Can Do Better
The recent weekly accidents being reported in the country have portrayed the roads as death traps. The height of this was the YY Coach along Katosi Road that overturned, caught fire, killing and injuring scores. It was at the time the country was coming to terms with the tragic car crash that ended the life of the promising entrepreneur, Rajiv Ruparelia.
Accidents are caused by three major factors: human error, Government negligence and natural hazards. Many accidents here are a combination of the first two instances. Public and private transport have proved to be unsafe. it Is it possible to register near-zero accidents in a year?
In addressing how best our roads can be made safe, it is important to copy the best practices from countries like Sweden, Turkey and Norway.
Punishments
President Yoweri Museveni has proposed that traffic offenders pay a UGX two million fine. Some people said it was too much. Yet, the higher the fine or the harsher the punishment, the more people get disciplined on the road.
A driver who gets involved in an accident, especially if it was largely his mistake, should have his driving licence withdrawn. A car company whose vehicles get involved in accidents more than twice should have their operation licence withdrawn. In a way this will make everyone driving on the road more careful. The challenge is that as one injures, or kills people in a car accident they could have avoided, they should not be allowed to continue driving. This should also apply to bodaboda riders. In Sweden and Turkey people are careful drivers for they fear having their driving licences withdrawn. Driving is part and partial of their livelihoods in those countries.
Periodic Vehicle Inspections
It is common to observe vehicles that are not road worthy. So, what are they still doing on the road? There should be a system that every six months there be a mandatory car inspection to determine the vehicle road worthiness. This will help to clean our roads of cars that are not meant to be used. Most cars that get involved in accidents are believed to have severe mechanical problems. Such vehicles are commonly observable up country.
Road signs
The death of Rajiv Ruparelia was a result of an absence of road signs; it defeats logic that a road can have barricades minus reflectors or signs at least a kilometre or two away to alert other road users. Under normal circumstances, the road contractor is to be condemned for the death due to such carelessness.
It can also be blamed on Government’s failure to take infrastructure seriously. The bad roads and the poor road works have accounted for accidents and therefore putting the lives of travellers at risk. Some of the roads are narrow and some road repairs take forever to be completed. Road maintenance and repairs should have a specific time frame to be completed.
Joint Safety Measures
The government should get on board all the stakeholders like; the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Traffic Police, operators of garages and driving schools, so that they can ably come up with strategies that protect passengers and travellers. Issuance of driving permits should be done after a person has really exhibited good driving skills that make them defensive drivers. Everyone who applies for a driving permit should not only pass the test, but confirm that they have passed through a driving school. Driving schools should be inspected time and again to ensure they have qualified instructors.
Thorough Accident Investigations
Whenever an accident occurs, thorough investigations should be carried out to determine the exact causes. The investigations should cover places where the vehicles normally get serviced to know the quality of servicing they get. Some garages instead of fixing the car, end up destroying it the more. Some fuel stations equally have sold bad fuel and oil to cars that have damaged the system of the cars.
A report should be given publically so that other people can learn from the mistake. Recently, a bus got involved in accident in Mubende and it was reported the driver was seated with his girlfriend as the co-driver. The driver’s concentration was not on the road, resulting in the accident.
Decongestion of Cities
Public offices and facilities are concentrated in particular places in cities and towns. This makes them ever congested with a lot of traffic jams. For example, recently, teachers who applied for government teaching jobs across the country had to travel to Kampala to come and do aptitude exams. It was said that in the region,s there were no facilities to allow the teachers do their aptitude interview at regional or district level. Imagine thousands of applicants that flocked Kampala to do aptitude tests. Assuming each region had been given such a facility then the jam and congestion that at times results into accidents would have been reduced. It is also true of the number of people who travel daily for work in such places. In Kampala, for instances, over four million people go to and fro daily.
Individuals should support the Government initiatives and other efforts in reducing accidents. For example, it is the duty of a traveller in a vehicle, to alert the Police if the driver is over speeding in the vehicle. It is our duty to check on the fitness of the driver; at times it is clear that the driver is drunk and/or stressed. The traveller should not leave his/her fate in the hands of such.
The author is a teacher, journalist and Pan Africanist
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