KCCA impounds motorcycles parked in non-motorised transport corridor

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and police on Thursday impounded motorcycles that were found parked in the Non-Motorized Transport Corridor along Namirembe road.

In 2018, KCCA started construction of Uganda’s first non-motorized transport corridor which stretches from Namirembe road through Luwum street to Entebbe road. The corridor was meant for cyclists and pedestrians while cargo trucks would be allowed only between 10 pm and 6 am to load and offload goods.

The corridor was commissioned amidst anticipation that it would reduce congestion along the stretch and ease access to shops downtown.

However, ever since the road was completed and commissioned, it hasn’t operated any different from other roads in the city center, it has vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The stretch also hosts hundreds of street vendors making it congested.

URN observed police officers plucking off number plates of all vehicles that were found parked in the corridor. The impounded motorcycles were taken to the Central Police Station.

Robert Kalumba, the KCCA Deputy Spokesperson said that they had no option but to enforce the NMT after several warnings to boda-boda riders and vendors. He says that the enforcement is meant to allow smooth business operation in the city without congestion.

Last week, Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA started installing bike racks along the Non-Motorized Transport-NMT corridor to ease parking by cyclists.

Last year, the State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama told KCCA to implement the Non-Motorized Transport along that corridor if they are to entice government and donors to fund further projects of that kind. KCCA plans to have another such project along Makerere Hill road.

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