The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has revealed that the compensation for vehicle inspection equipment installed by Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS) has now reached 30 percent.
According to the Ministry of Works and Transport Permanent Secretary, Waiswa Bageya, SGS is supposed to be compensated with over 200 billion Shillings for the installed vehicle inspection equipment but never put to use.
Waiswa said after being frustrated even after erecting vehicle inspection centers on various roads, SGS terminated the contract and successfully demanded to be compensated more than 200 billion shillings.
However, Waiswa explained that once SGS is fully compensated, the government will own the installed vehicle inspection centers and would immediately enforce the mandatory tests for vehicle conditions to reduce road crashes.
Citing an example of a lawyer, Raphael Okiot, who was killed by a concrete truck that collapsed on his vehicle on Wednesday, Waiswa said SGS vehicle inspection centers will tremendously reduce incidents of crashes emanating from motor vehicles in dangerous mechanical condition.
Waiswa was on Friday addressing road safety stakeholders at a validation meeting organized by the Ministry of Works and Transport, Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), and Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACU) in Kampala.
The meeting was meant to seek the views of road safety experts, Civil Society Organizations in road safety advocacy, police, drivers, and riders on the proposed regulations implementing a 30km/hr speed limit in school zones, and urban and built-up areas.
The government reached a Memorandum of Understanding with SGS to conduct motor vehicle inspections for five years. However, the corruption scandals that were unearthed by Parliament forced SGS to evoke the contract using the clauses that were in it but the proprietors demanded compensation.
The Commissioner for Transport and Road Safety, Winston Katushabe, said the regulations will not only address speed limits in busy areas like schools, and residential and urban areas but will also aid the process of installing electronic number plates.
CEPA indicates that addressing road crashes requires concerted efforts because every person at any time is a driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian.
In 2023, traffic crashes killed 4,806 people of which the majority were pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and passengers on motorcycles. This, according to CEPA’s Programs Coordinator, Esther Busiku, needs mechanisms that ensure every road user is safe.
Robert Kisakye, the Ministry of Works legal licensing officer said their study has shown that road crashes have increased by 59% in the last ten years. Kisakye explained in 2013, road crashes killed 2,845 people but in 2023 the road deaths stood at 4,809.
These statistics have been arrived at using the annual police crime and traffic statistics.
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The pain never goes away from this land
We are still waiting for report related to accidents at the intersection of roads and the Rail line
We saw the minister promising to deliver this report during a session in Parliament
Just recently, February 2024, a good Ugandan saved some public servant from getting crashed near Nakawa ( near incident). , The window screens were down, so the passenger heard a scream ” train”
We remind those concerned that in the past, while travelling by train all the roads would be closed off
The train movements were programmed as well
As we continue to mourn our dead