State Minister for Works Musa Ecweru has urged Ugandans to slow down on the roads and stop attributing road crashes to spirits and ancestral forces.
Speaking at the launch of Road Safety Week on December 14, the minister expressed concern that motorists cause accidents through their own mistakes, including speeding, overloading, and other offenses.
“Can you imagine these educated people? They keep crushing on the roads and they keep blaming spirits. I have received communication asking me to facilitate the church and all those who can expel spirits to go to Masaka Road and expel spirits. The spirits will not go away if we don’t respect the traffic rules. The spirits will still be there,” Ecweru said.
This follows the release of the Road Safety Chronicles Report by the Road Safety Coalition of Uganda this month, which found that 80% of road crashes are due to human error.
The UN Development Report 2018 estimated the economic burden of road crashes in Uganda at Shs4.4 trillion, while newer preliminary data suggests this figure may have quadrupled to Shs17.4 trillion.
Minister Ecweru acknowledged the hard work of the Traffic Directorate but also raised concern about some officers accepting bribes to ignore traffic violations.
“The drivers greet the officers with folded hands, then they are flagged off. The vehicle flagged off came speeding while carrying Ugandans,” he said.
He further criticized the practice of young people and joggers using earphones while running alongside roads, highlighting the high number of fatal accidents involving pedestrians.
“I do deliberate exercise. I can never imagine any sane person blocking his eyes and jogging on a highway. The people who jog that way are not illiterates, these are educated people, so I ask myself, what did this person learn from school,” Mr Ecweru said.
The minister launched the “Yogerako” campaign, “My Ride, My Safety, My Responsibility,” aimed at educating boda boda riders and passengers on road safety precautions and encouraging passengers to speak up against reckless riding.
The Road Safety Coalition Uganda Report indicates that 43% of all accidents involve boda boda riders and cyclists.
The remarks and initiatives come during Road Safety Week, which coincides with the approaching festive season, a period historically associated with an increase in road crashes.
