Experts: Gov’t failed to allocate money for road safety

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Road safety experts have raised a red flag over the government’s failure to allocate money for road safety in the next financial year.

While attending the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) meeting on resourcing for road safety on Tuesday in Kampala, the experts wondered why the government would not allocate money for road safety yet the number of people dying and getting injured increases every day.

The road safety expert’s reaction was triggered by the revelation by Edward Kizito a road safety officer at the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) and MP Robert Kasolo the Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee of Physical Infrastructure that no money has been allocated to road safety in the 2024/25 fiscal year.

“I want to tell you that the issue of road safety hasn’t been taken seriously in this country. And to show that it is not taken seriously, the government with its Ministry of Works and Transport have not allocated any monies for road safety in the next financial year,” Kasolo said.

Kizito admitted that no money had been set aside for road safety activities because other budgetary matters were deemed more important and the money had to be allocated to them.

Fred Tumwine the Chairperson of the Road Safety Advocacy Coalition of Uganda (ROSACU) and CEPA’s programs officer Esther Busiku described the failure to allocate money for road safety activities as a shock.

Tumwine wondered why money would not be allocated to road safety yet every year the number of people dying in road crashes increases and this means there should be financial resources for sensitization activities, vehicle inspection, and implementation of traffic regulations.

“We shall find ways to inform the government. We as ROSACU have done a commendable job in supporting the government in drafting regulations. But some people seem not to have heard our voices. I thank the Ministry of Works for such an explanation and we shall always give our support,” Tumwine said.

Busiku reminded the government that traffic crashes are ranked number five among the top 10 killers of Ugandans every year. The traffic police report for 2023 shows that 4,806 people perished in road crashes which translates to 13 people per day. This was an increase compared to the 4,534 people who died in 2022 and translated into 12 road deaths every day.

Stella Atiang, the Moroto District Woman MP said traffic police prioritize giving penalties or collecting bribes from drivers instead of ensuring that all vehicles and drivers who do not meet the stipulated traffic regulations are restricted from utilizing the roads.

Traffic police report for 2023 shows over 41 billion shillings were collected in penalties to drivers who had driving licenses, driving beyond the prescribed speed, and not wearing seatbelts among others.

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