The traffic police directorate has revealed that it has so far arrested 76 errant bus drivers in a bid to reduce road crashes during the festive season. Police said most of the drivers have been arrested for careless driving, not having the recommended badges and overloading passengers.
Superintendent of Police –SP Michael Kananura, the traffic police spokesperson, said many of the drivers have been charged in courts of law and other have been fined. According to SP Kananura, the traffic police have been sensitizing bus drivers to drive with caution and also engaging mass carrier vehicle owners to ensure their companies and employees meet on the requirements but some have been adamant.
After police conducting operations in which some of the bus drivers have been arrested, many bus owners and drivers have rushed to the ministry of works to acquire the badges that describe their names, company, name, age, experience and also comes with their route chats.
Since October, the ministry of works and transport including the traffic police have been urging drivers to get the badges in vain. On Monday and Tuesday this week, several passengers were stranded in the bus parks as drivers rushed to ministry of works to acquire the badges.
“Driver badges are ready and being issued at the ministry of works and transport and this started two months ago. It is of late, when we started operations that drivers started getting these badges. The drivers are tasked to place their photographs behind their seats. If you see a different person behind the steering, call police,” SP Kananura said.
There has been public outcry on buses heading to Northern Uganda that overload passengers and cargo after leaving the parks in Kampala. Passengers have often said they leave the parks when they are seated very well but by the time they reach Matugga, the whole corridor is filled with standing passengers who pay slightly less to what those who board from the bus parks pay. The standing passengers often make the journey inconvinient for seating passengers as they keep falling on them once they get tired. Sometimes they are carrying luggage which is almost placed on the heads of seating passengers.
Police say all operations being conducted before, and during the festive period are intended to reduce road crashes. December is one of the months that have over the years registered the highest number of road deaths and injuries. Last year, 58 people died in road crashes between December 23rd and New Year’s Day. These crashes were attributed to among other factors reckless driving, drink driving, fatigue, and last minute drive to upcountry places.
“Take a break every after two hours or every after 200km of drive. Many people have get these crashes because they want to drive through without resting. It is very dangerous because bodies get tired. Get somewhere, refresh and start your journey,” SP Kananura said.
Minister for works and transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, has cautioned road users against indiscipline. According to Gen Katumba, many drivers tend to give excuses of narrow roads as if they were constructed overnight.
“These roads you call narrow have not been constructed overnight. You have been driving on them and they are not going to get wider overnight. It is the indiscipline that causes these crashes. Plan you journey in time and do not all drive to your destinations on the last day,” Gen Katumba said.
Some of the roads that have registered deadly road crashes during Christmas period include Kampala-Masaka, Mityana-Mubende, Kampala-Gulu and Mukono-Jinja mostly in Mabira forest. SP Kananura said police are starting operations even on motorcycle riders and drivers of omnibuses and trucks.