Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Anita Among has this afternoon called for tougher laws to be enacted and adjustments made in the existing traffic laws and regulations to punish road traffic offenders as a measure to curb persistent road accidents in the country.
In her communication at the begging of the plenary session, which eventually guided the House to extensively debate the matter, Speaker Among suggested that tougher penalties would instill sanity among motorists.
“Well aware that oftentimes road traffic accidents are also a result of the habits and behavior of road users, there is need for strict regulation of registration and licensing of boda boda operators, including awareness of traffic rules and regulations.” She said.
She also proposed that riders are subjected to regular riding proficiency tests as a precondition for license renewal.
This is because some road users don’t get adequate training prior to driving or riding on Uganda’s roads.
“These people learn how to ride in a few days and they are on the road. These should be tested before the permits are issued or renewed,” Speaker Among said.
She further recommended the need to revise the penalties prescribed in relation to road traffic offenses.
As he presented the report on road carnage in the country, Dr Charles Ayume who doubles as the chairperson of the Committee of Health defended Speaker’s suggestion indicating that careless driving heavily contributes to road accidents.
“Reckless and careless driving is the primary cause of crashes in the country. Between 2019 and 2021, reckless and negligent driving caused a combined total of 33,208 crashes.” Dr Ayume said.
These penalties follow after the police released a compilation of CCTV footage of boda boda accidents in Kampala and its suburbs.The video showed the numerous accidents that happened in Kampala and its surroundings last month. A total of 257 lives were lost in boda boda accidents in October, according to Uganda Police.
