The Rotaract club of Nkumba University today, 14th October 2023 conducted a road safety campaign targeting Boda Boda riders following the risky situation at Nkumba-Entebbe Express junction where traffic lights have been off for close to 2 weeks.
With four lanes and two U-turns, the Nkumba Non-functional traffic lights has created commotion leading to hazardous environment in the area, Club president, Natsami Grace said that the goal was to sensitize Boda-Boda riders on proper road usage and also brief locals on the right approach to the situation at the road junction, “as Rotaractor, we have seen a community need, we are here to train Boda-Boda Riders on proper road usage given the fact that they now operate at risk.” The campaign also saw over 50 Boda-Boda riders receive free reflector jackets
“If you have been keen enough, these traffic lights have been faulty for now close to 2 weeks, both motorists and pedestrians have to negotiate their way unguided, in such a busy intersection with 4 lanes and 2 U-Turns, this is risky.” Said Nangendo
Nkumba traffic lights are also set to cater for different road users including pedestrians who are mostly students. Pedestrians now take longer to cross amidst an extreme risk of being ran over by the speeding motorists.
Nakalema Jacinta, a mobile money operator says that the area might turn into a death spot if authorities don’t come in and rectify the faulty traffic lights. “I have witnessed an instance where a Boda-Boda rider almost collided with a car, this will soon become a death trap if people responsible don’t act immediately.”
Boda boda riders thanked the Rotaract Club of Nkumba University for its humanitarian gesture and appealed to authorities to restore the traffic lights. “This is a good gesture, thank you Nkumba University, however, I call upon Uganda National Roads Authority to fix the traffic lights as soon as possible.”
For nearly two weeks, the Nkumba stage traffic lights have been non-operational, posing a significant risk to the safety of road users.
Nkumba University Rotaract Club is a humanitarian service organization composed of Nkumba University students under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Entebbe.
The 2022 Police Annual Crime reports indicates that a total of 1,021 boda-boda riders and 401 passengers were killed in road accidents within 9 months. The statistics mean that at least 110 boda-boda riders were killed every month while the report further shows that a total of 2393 people sustained injuries due to accidents caused by boda-boda cyclists. The figure is above the 1918 people killed in 2021
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