Members of Parliament have urged the Government to consider putting mechanisms in place that strengthen efforts for promoting road safety in the Country.
The Fort Portal City MP, Alex Ruhunda yesterday said in a motion urging the government to strengthen efforts for promoting road safety comes that there is an urgent need for stakeholders to brainstorm ideas that curtail road carnage and its impact on the health of the people and their economy.
The motion was presented in a plenary session chaired by Deputy Speaker, Anita Among ahead of the commemoration of the National Road Safety Week scheduled for December 13 to 17, 2021.
The motion is set for a comprehensive debate on December 14, 2021. Ruhunda noted that the Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998, and subsequent amendments in 2020 recognize the need to promote road safety in Uganda through the strengthening of road transport regulation and road safety management.
He said that the reports from Police have always indicated that there is a need for strong Government intervention by strengthening efforts for promoting road safety in the country.
“The Police Annual Crime Report 2020 estimates deaths accruing to road traffic crashes of 3000 people while serious injuries average 13,500 people annually,” said Ruhunda
The MP called upon the Government to consider increasing funding to cater for different road safety activities especially for the Uganda Police and the Ministry of Works and Transport. He further asked the Government to consider reducing the speed limit from 50km per hour to 30kms per hour within urban centers as a measure of curbing road carnage.
According to Ruhunda, the ministry should consider reducing the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from the current 0.08mg/100ml to 0.05mg/100ml for the general drivers and 0.02mg/100ml for young and novice drivers and commercial drivers. This measurement examines the percentage of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream and a reduction would mean nipping cases of drunk driving in the bud.
He also called for setting up acceptable standards for helmets, seatbelts, and child restraints to be allowed on the market and strengthening of enforcement of road safety laws and regulations especially during the festive season.
Ruhunda asked Government to strengthen measures to curb corruption between traffic offenders and the law enforcers on the roads.
Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi the Elgon County MP who seconded the motion asked the Government to improve on the dilapidated road network especially for roads in Kampala since most of the Kampala Roads are full of potholes which poses a risk to the lives of many road users across the city.