Director of traffic wants regulation for garages, boda boda industry

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Director of Traffic and Road Safety in police, Dr Steven Kasiima has urged the physical infrastructure committee of Parliament to consider including regulations for garages and Boda Boda industry in the Traffic and Road Act 1998 (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Kasiima on Wednesday appeared before the committee to make submissions on the Bill.

The Bill, among other provisions, seeks to strengthen road transport regulation and road safety management in Uganda, to address existing challenges such as new and emerging trends, increased number of road users including motorcycles, increased road accidents and the need to conform to the regional and international agreements that Uganda is a signatory to.

While the Bill provides for the licensing and regulating of a special category of transport network companies using online digital platforms for provision of passenger and goods services, Kasiima says that there is need for regulations for the Boda Boda industry to ensure traffic and road safety.

The Uganda Police Crime Reports usually cite over speeding, drunk driving, careless driving, careless pedestrians as some of the major causes of accidents.

The latest Uganda Police Report shows that pedestrians were the highest category of road users killed at 39% in 2018 numbering 1,424, followed by passengers and cyclists at 28%, and Drivers in 6.0%.

In July, Twaweza released a report indicating that Boda Boda accidents are the leading cause of injuries in the country. The report noted that out of 1,913 respondents involved in the survey that was conducted on October 2018, three in ten Ugandans had experienced an accident or injury in the past six months.

Kasiima argues that last year, Police arrested 150,000 Boda Boda cyclists mostly for carrying excess passengers, not wearing helmets but they could not be held liable for breaching the Traffic and Road Safety Act due to the lack of regulations. He estimates that there are between 500,000 to one million Boda Bodas in Kampala Capital City.

Kasiima noted that politicians have however frustrated efforts to set up regulations for the boda industry and yet the regulations will help restore sanity and eliminate criminals operating within the industry.

Kasiima also proposes that garages should be licensed and regulated to also curb theft of motor vehicles, motor vehicle spare parts among others.

The Committee vice-chairperson, George Wilson Kumama, also Bbaale county MP, asked the police to submit a more comprehensive report to the committee on what additional proposals should be considered while processing the Bill.

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