Government to tow stationary trucks, evict roadside markets to curb road crashes

By Francis Lubega

13^th July 2023

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has been directed to remove all roadside markets and car stages along all roads including highways.

This is part of the string resolution arrived at during the three-hour-long crisis meeting convened by the Speaker Anita Among on July 13 to address the escalating road crashes in Uganda.

While opening plenary on Thursday afternoon, Speaker Among informed MPs that the meeting she chaired in her boardroom at Parliament resolved to activate the plan in a short, medium, long term as already entrenched in the Road Safety Act solutions.

Among solutions include reinstating speed governors, replacing road signs, annual vehicle inspection, enforcement of relevant laws especially in the road act 2019, Ministry of ICT and Uganda Communications communication-UCC to disseminate road safety messages to all Ugandans via phone messages and others.

The meeting also gave the Ministry of Works and Transport to urgently develop regulations to operationalize the road act 2019 by 13^th August 2023 to enable some closes to be implemented.

It was also resolved that a memorandum be signed between the private sector, transport stakeholders, and government to enable private entities to tow stationed vehicles and UNRA also promised to give eight towing cars to the police force.

The meeting has been attended by UNRA, Police, Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Health, Government Chief Whip, Leader of Opposition, and others, and has been chaired by the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.