Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & URN | As a result of growing fee of highway accidents, Uganda Police has began a reputation and disgrace marketing campaign, certainly one of a number of methods to carry again sanity on the roads.
Assistant Superintendent of Police-ASP Faridah Nampiima, who’s the visitors police spokesperson, on Monday launched an inventory of quantity plates of 143 vehicles whose drivers had damaged visitors guidelines and are actually anticipated to pay Specific penalty scheme (EPS) penalties after being charged.
“Utilizing our cameras, 143 violated visitors legal guidelines and rules in varied areas and so they have been charged accordingly. You’re suggested to report back to the closest police station and decide up your EPS tickets for the varied offences,” she mentioned in an announcement.
At a median of sh100,000 per automobile, the ‘identify and disgrace’ operation might plough in about sh14million.
Nampiima mentioned visitors police shall proceed utilizing the cameras to take motion on visitors violators.
The CCTV footage the have captured all the small print – date, time , place of offense , highway,offense , automobile make , quantity plate and automobile coloration.
“Each week we will be having an inventory of visitors violaters as a mechanism of naming and shaming. We remind all highway customers that highway security begins with you. Keep away from behaviors that will lead you to misuse the highway,” she warned.
435 die in 5 weeks, over 10 every day
The visitors data launched final month present that 435 folks have been killed in varied highway crashes throughout the nation in simply 5 weeks. The figures additionally point out that 1,300 folks have been left nursing critical accidents.
ASP Nampiima mentioned the 4 weeks of June left 366 folks killed in highway crashes whereas 1,146 highway customers survived with important accidents.
Nampiima provides that one other 69 folks perished in highway crashes within the first 9 days of July. The 366 folks killed in June and 69 killed within the first week of July carry the whole variety of highway deaths to 435.
The deaths additionally imply 87 misplaced their life every week that handed. When computed to days, the highway killing interprets into 12 folks dying every day because of automobile, bike or bicycle crashes. If the highway deaths proceed being excessive, Uganda is probably going by December thirty first to have the best variety of highway killings it has seen ever.
Statistics not too long ago launched by Performing Site visitors Police Director Lawrence Nuwabiine, present 4,159 folks died in highway crashes in 2021. This implies 11 folks misplaced their lives in highway crashes each day. Nevertheless, since April this yr thus far, every day highway crash deaths have been starting from 12 to 14 individuals.
Like final yr the place a lot of the deaths have been of boda boda riders standing at 1,390, adopted by pedestrians at 1,384, the scenario hasn’t modified a lot. Pedestrians and motorcyclists are nonetheless the most important variety of victims.
A number of the main highway fatalities registered within the first week of July was at Kinawata railway crossing the place three folks coming from a hangout have been crashed by a practice. Two of the trio have been recognized as Caroline Aturinda and Nobert Tezikara.
One other crash that killed 10 folks occurred on Bombo highway. Police have arrested the driving force who was aged 22 years. It’s believed that the victims have been netballers from Bwaise however nobody has come out to say possession of the taxi. Nampiima mentioned the reason for the Bombo crash was a tyre burst whereas the Kinawataka crash resulted from reckless driving.
However Sam Bambanza, a highway security activist and director Hope for Victims of Site visitors Accidents (HOVITA) says efforts to ought to be on investigating each crash to ascertain the causes. Bambanza provides that there’s additionally must have a strong emergency response system.
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