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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police has summoned the management of YY coaches following a spate of accidents involving buses from the company. The closed door meeting that lasted for over three hours at the offices of the vehicle inspector in Mbale town was convened by the Elgon/Sipi Region Inspector of Vehicles, Richard Kakaire.
It involved the management of YY coaches and courier services, police and the driver’s association leadership. It was prompted by three different accidents involving YY buses along Mbale-Tirinyi highway in a spate of one week.
On Monday last week, two people died after a bus belonging to YY overturned near Iganga town. On Friday, a herbal dealer was killed when he jumped off a YY bus and got trapped under the tires at Kamonkoli in Budaka district. On Sunday night, another YY bus registration number UAX 852F was involved in a head-on collision with a taxi registration number UAV 689E killing ten people aboard the taxi.
Now, police have warned to revoke YY’s operating license should the accidents continue. Richard Kakaire, the Elgon/Sipi Region Vehicle Inspector, says they called the YY management to tell them to caution their drivers against reckless driving. He says they also want the YY management to present between 5-10 drivers to his office for fresher courses on a weekly basis.
Godfrey Mwesigye, the Elgon region traffic officer blamed the increasing accidents on recklessness among the drivers. He told journalists that the meeting was meant to forge a way forward on how accidents can be minimized by all stake holders.
Mwesigye cautioned drivers against speeding, which he blamed for the increasing accidents across the country. John Abazi, the YY Coaches manager apologized to the clients about the accidents, saying action will be taken against errant drivers. He partly blamed the accidents on the poor state of roads in the country.
Abazi also blamed passengers who pressurize drivers to speed saying that whenever drivers move at the normal speed passengers calls office complaining about the slow speed.
Like Abazi, Siragi Masagazi, the public relations officer Mbale taxi drivers, owners and conductors association also blamed the accidents on bad roads.
He also blamed traffic police, which he said have failed enforce its mandate to ensure road safety.
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