North Kyoga Region to deploy additional traffic officers as figures show possible crash surge

From January 2021 up to October, 169 total crashes have been recorded; 31 are fatal, 99 serious and 42 minor.

Lira—1, December 2021: Uganda loses 10 people per day due to road crashes. According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report, 2020, drink driving contributed 0.4% of the national road crashes figures in the same year.

A finding by Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) showed that 61% of road crash fatalities and injuries in Uganda happen in the economically productive age groups of 15–64 years.

Crashes on the roads continue besides “somewhat tough enforcement measures and penalties” put in place. Daily, they [Police] deploy dozens of traffic officers across the country to enforce good road practices among users. They are mandated to enforce, among others wearing of seatbelts by drivers and passengers, wearing of helmets by riders, speeding, among others.

Nationally, the Police Annual Crime and Road Safety Reports from 2016 to 2020 registered a fair decrease. The report showed that 14,557 total crashes were recorded in 2016. Of the figure, 2,999 were fatal. In 2017, 13,244 total crashes were recorded and 3,051 were fatal.

Whereas crashes reduced by 1,313 in the latter year, fatalities increased by 52.

In 2018, 12,805 total crashes were recorded and 3,194 people died. 2019 registered 12, 858 total crashes and 3,407 people lost their lives.

However, the numbers “significantly reduced” in 2020, a year 12,249 total crashes were registered and 3,269 deaths.

Farida Nampiima is the spokesperson of the Directorate of Traffic Police. She said recently, “Cases of road crashes may include nature of roads and roadsides, non-adherence to lane driving, environment and overtaking.”

“Traffic officers countrywide have started sensitizing boda-boda riders on road safety and right placement of the number plates,” she added.

Lira district traffic crash numbers

From January 2020 to December 2020, the Police traffic department at Lira Central Police Station registered 88 road crashes. Of the number, 43 were fatal; 30 and 15 were serious and minor cases, respectively.

A year prior, in 2018, the same department recorded 40 fatalities. 22 were serious and 8 minor.

Ahead of the busy month of December leading to Christmas, the numbers could surge. This is clear in the preliminary statistics this publication has got.

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From January 2021 up to October, 169 total crashes have been recorded; 31 are fatal, 99 serious and 42 minor.

During the same period, 10 bicycles are involved; 145 motorcycles and 114 motor vehicles.

“Most accidents are caused by boda bodas and we have embarked on community sensitization and policing,” said

“Most of the boda boda riders and drivers don’t road signs. They have not gone to a driving school,” he added.

Okwir’s statement about illiterate riders and drivers on the roads is true. Omara James Ogal, a boda-boda rider in Lira City said in a recent interview, “I have been a boda rider for ten years now having left my village in Aloi sub-county for a good life. I bought my Bajaj (motorcycle) in 2018 and got involved in two crashes. One was serious and another minor.”

Omara revealed he is yet to know and understand what he described as “important road signs” for him to avoid future crashes.

Asked what further enforcement is in place, RTO Okwir said North Kyoga Region is receiving additional traffic officers “soon” to support the current 53 personnel.

“Due to Christmas we are going to add more [officers] to penetrate every corners of the region and officers not acting as required will lose their jobs.”

According to him, actions should take place immediately, adding, “We will not give any offenders receipt because they feel safe, we will take them to Courts of Law so that crashes may reduce.”

Potholed Lira-Kamdini highway remains a big contributor to road crashes in Lango sub-region, and the region’s traffic officer noted that when vehicles overtake because of potholes everywhere, innocent people on the roads and passengers die.

In February this year, Kole North MP, Dr Samuel Opio Acuti wrote to UNRA over bad roads in Lango.

“For example, it currently, painfully takes between 2 to 3 hours to travel the 75km stretch from Lira to Kamdini, while within the same time one can travel the 300km length from Kamdini to Kampala. This makes it a major setback during a medical emergency,” Dr Acuti told UNRA ED, Allen Kagina.