• What is UNN?
  • Why UNN?
  • Our Team
  • Support Us
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
  • Login
  • Home
  • Featured stories
  • Editors Choice
  • Trending Stories
  • News
  • Africa Today
  • Opinion
  • Literature
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Featured stories
  • Editors Choice
  • Trending Stories
  • News
  • Africa Today
  • Opinion
  • Literature
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
UNN Times
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Experts Claim Road Checkpoints are Helpless

Sophie Mutesi | UNN Times ReporterbySophie Mutesi | UNN Times Reporter
January 15, 2023
in News, Uganda
0
Five Suffocate to Death on Christmas, Accident Claims Five On Boxing Day

One of the accidents in December that claimed lives along Kampala - Masaka Road.

4
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

KAMPALA -Road safety experts have questioned the role of traffic checkpoints after records showed that more than 300 people perished in crashes during the festive season.

The Police reinstated checkpoints along major highways in the weeks before the season on the orders of President Yoweri Museveni who had highlighted cases of indiscipline and night crime. Museveni had earlier directed security agency commanders to remove the same checkpoints and roadblocks after traders claimed they were causing unnecessary congestion and delays in the transportation of goods.

RELATED STORIES

Parliament Approves Ugx49.98trn for 2023/24 Budget

Parliament Approves Ugx49.98trn for 2023/24 Budget

February 1, 2023
Somalia hosts regional Leaders over Al-Shabaab

Somalia hosts regional Leaders over Al-Shabaab

February 1, 2023
Why Consumption of Alcohol in Uganda might become more Expensive

Why Consumption of Alcohol in Uganda might become more Expensive

February 1, 2023
Speaker Among Pledges Support towards Cultural Development

Speaker Among Pledges Support towards Cultural Development

February 1, 2023

But traffic records show that the checkpoints might have scored on the side of reducing crime but not on road crashes, loss of life and injuries.

A breakdown by the Traffic Police shows that 35 lives were lost between December 30, 2022, and January 1, 2023, while 55 lives were lost between December 23 and December 26. Another 81 died between December 4 and December 10. The country also lost 82 people between December 11 and December 16, according to the Traffic Police Spokesperson, Faridah Nampiima.

The same records show that up to 79 people died in the first week of January, the period within which people who had travelled to villages to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Day were returning to urban areas.

Sam Bambanza, the Executive director of Hope for Victims of Traffic Accidents – HOVITA and Joseph Komakech Ojambo – the Executive Director of Responsible Drivers Uganda – RDU – believe it is time Traffic Police and the Ministry of Works collaborated with other stakeholders to change their approach in addressing road crashes.

 

Bambanza said that even when traffic officers stop drivers at checkpoints, they focus on driving licences, third-party insurance or overloading, yet this wasn’t the only cause to accidents. Bambanza added that in order for the checkpoints to be purposeful, police should focus on the state of the vehicle like tyres and brakes, and also empower passengers to tell the behaviour of the drivers at every checkpoint.

He noted that most drivers know the spots where the checkpoints are stationed and observe almost all road regulations as they approach such points.

Nampiima said police checkpoints have really helped to apprehend traffic offenders. This, she argued with figures from last week where more than 9,580 traffic offenders were apprehended and issued with express penalty tickets.

She added that police had continuously sensitised and urged people to be responsible road users but many have refused to comply. Nampiima said people are dying on the roads because they are driving recklessly, driving when they are drunk, driving vehicles which are in dangerous mechanic conditions and speeding.

Similarly, Ojamba said checkpoints were no-longer helping in reducing crashes and were only effective for intercepting criminals. Ojambo thinks managing indiscipline on roads needs mobile traffic personnel taking to different directions so that drivers and riders are unable to predict their patterns.

“Checkpoints have got nothing to do with road crashes. They are static; drivers and riders keep alerting each other where traffic officers are stationed. Most people are knocked dead in urban centres. But police officers are always outside such places,” Ojambo said.

By not being stationed in a given area, Ojambo said drivers and riders would know that they can bump into them at any time and therefore they might become more responsible.

But Nampiima said whether traffic personnel are mobile or static, it is upon the road users to change their attitude. She wonders why someone who knows his vehicle is in a dangerous condition decides to put it on the road. Some drivers, according to Nampiima, resort to energy drinks when exhausted, instead of resting.

Tags: DriversRoad AccidentsRoadblocks
Previous Post

The Crisis of Political Underdevelopment and Illiteracy in Uganda

Next Post

When Uganda’s Defence Ministry Officials couldn’t defend their Trillion Budget

Related Posts

Parliament Tasks Works Minister to Offer Alternative Plans to Counter Road Carnage

byMoses Kalaire | UNN Times Reporter
January 8, 2023
0
Parliament Tasks Works Minister to Offer Alternative Plans to Counter Road Carnage

KAMPALA - The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has directed the Minister of Works and Transport to present a...

Read more

Police in Karamoja Reinstate Roadblocks to Curb Crude Waragi Trade

byRonald Mugabi | UNN Times Reporter
December 9, 2022
0
Police in Karamoja Reinstate Roadblocks to Curb Crude Waragi Trade

MOROTO –The Police in Karamoja sub-region has revived roadblocks along highways to avert cattle thefts, in addition to entry of...

Read more
Next Post
When Uganda’s Defence Ministry Officials couldn’t defend their Trillion Budget

When Uganda’s Defence Ministry Officials couldn’t defend their Trillion Budget

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

About us

UNN is a new people powered TV channel, Radio station and Newspaper leading the revolution. We’re a media outlet focused on inspiring and empowering you while telling the truth, because as they say, the truth will set you free.

Recent

Parliament Approves Ugx49.98trn for 2023/24 Budget

Muteesa I Royal University Accorded Charter Status

Somalia hosts regional Leaders over Al-Shabaab

Why Consumption of Alcohol in Uganda might become more Expensive

Speaker Among Pledges Support towards Cultural Development

Legislators Want Sports Facilities under National Council

Follow Us

Tweets by GetUNN

Facebook

© 2023 UNN Times

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Featured stories
  • Editors Choice
  • Trending Stories
  • News
  • Africa Today
  • Opinion
  • Literature
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2023

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.