Uganda’s largest opposition party the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has blamed the increased road accidents on Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and a careless government.
At the weekend, scores were killed in separate road accidents at Kyambura Trading Centre in Rubirizi and in Busembatia.
Addressing the weekly FDC press conference at the party headquarters at Najjanankumbi in Kampala, deputy spokesperson John Kikonyogo blamed UNRA and a lazy government.
“Much as there human errors, most of these accidents are coming as a result of the lackadaisical nature government in line with the transport systems,” Kikonyogo told reporters.
“UNRA has now become an expert in shoddy work. Most of the roads are bleeding and this is what causes most of them to be shinny and slippery. 90% of Ugandan tarmac roads are badly done and it is the reason for skidding of vehicles.”
Kikonyogo further said corruption had allowed overloaded vehicles on the roads.
“Even when UNRA claims to have established Weigh bridges along most of the high ways, corruption that is [eating up] all government institutions has made them to allow excess weight pass the said roads,” he said.
HOW FDC WOULD REDUCE ROAD ACCIDENTS
The party has also proposed measures to reduce road carnage.
FDC wants all major highways to be upgraded to dual carriages.
It also wants the Planning Act should be enforced to “enable the Country upgrade from the current linear mode where towns are built along major highways and roads to establishment of substantive towns outside major roads”.
“All major highways should be curved outside towns,” said Kikonyogo.
The largest opposition political grouping also proposes that all cargo be removed from roads to railway lines.
But the party is worried that corruption might sink this shift.
“We are aware government is already sunk in major corruption scandals that has failed the establishment of the standard gauge railway even when sister states like Kenya have already handled Phase one i.e Mombasa-Nairobi and now into phase two that will enable Nairobi-Busia completed,” he explained.
“Aware of the above theft and prior failure by the Ugandan government, we propose tentative re-enforcement of the current Railway line gauge to enable all cargo go through rail system as a measure of reducing on heavy loads on our Ugandan poor-quality roads.”
