KAMPALA – Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa on Monday flagged off a 225 Kms road safety walk awareness – urging Ugandans – especially the red-plated motorists – to drive cautiously in order to reduce accidents in the country.
Tayebwa made the remarks at the Independence Monument – where he flagged off the Joe Walker Campaign – where Joseph Beyanga – the head of Radio (section) at the Nation Media Group would lead a group to trek between Kampala and Mbale City.
Tayebwa said road safety was everyone’s responsibility if road carnage was to be curbed.
“There are matters, which require public mobilisation. Road accidents, issues of the environment, these are issues that you can’t shoot down with a gun,” said Tayebwa – blaming the rampant road accidents countrywide on poor time management. He said majority of drivers do not plan their travel time well – ending up driving recklessly.
Tayebwa applauded Beyanga for the gesture – calling on the citizenry to pick up interest in promoting road safety.
“Recently, I lost a brother in law in a road accident. We also lost our brother and his wife, Hon. Patrick Okabe, and very many other people we might not know. What Beyanga is doing is for us. He is bringing core issues to the fore front and this brings out the fact that every citizen has an obligation,” said Tayebwa.
He added that such initiatives compel Parliament to carry out its legislation and appropriation roles for the benefit of the population.
“If someone can sacrifice to walk, then it also put us under pressure to do much more in terms of ensuring that we have laws that can be implemented,” said Tayebwa.
Beyanga said that the walk under the theme: ‘Too Young to Die’ mainly targets the young people whom he claimed were the majority of causalities of road carnage.
“More than 60 of the people who perish in road crushes are aged between 25 and 44. So, we are raising awareness to say that each one of us has a role to play in the issues of road safety,” said Beyanga – whose walk is expected to last six days.
He ever innovative Beyanga appealed to government to prioritise road safety at the centre of infrastructure development through the construction of safe roads.
