Kampala to enforce 30km/hr speed limit for safer roads

In response to the escalating frequency of road crashes in the country, Bageya Waiswa, the permanent secretary of the ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), has announced plans to introduce a new traffic regulation targeting speeding drivers, slated to commence in July.

The primary objective of this regulation is to mitigate the number of fatalities and injuries resulting from road crashes annually nationwide. Research conducted by the International Collaboration on Mass Casualty Accidents (ICOMAS), as outlined in a study by Global Public Health, reveals that road crashes disproportionately impact the working-age population, particularly those aged between 15 and 64 years.

This demographic segment is often compelled to traverse roads in pursuit of livelihood opportunities, rendering road accidents a significant societal burden characterized by substantial loss of income, incurred medical expenses, and the tragic consequences of death or disability.

The Traffic and Road Safety (Speed Limit) Regulations, 2024 will mandate drivers to reduce their speed in urban and built-up areas, as well as school zones, from 50km/hr to 30km/hr, aiming to address speeding, which stands as the leading cause of road crashes.

“In 2023, over 4,806 individuals lost their lives on Ugandan roads, averaging 13 deaths per day. Road safety experts and advocates are calling for the implementation of a 30-kilometer-per-hour speed limit in all school zones, urban areas, and built-up areas,” remarked Bageya.

According to a recent UN report, Uganda experiences an average of 10 fatalities per day due to road crashes, with speeding being identified as the primary contributing factor.

This statistic positions Uganda with the highest rate of road crash fatalities in the East African region. According to Robert Kisakye, the licensing officer at the ministry of Works and Transport, a driver caught exceeding the speed limit will be fined an Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) ticket worth ten currency notes (Shs 200,000), as is currently the case. However, if the driver exceeds the speed limit, he will face a higher fine of 30 currency notes (Shs 600,000).

“However, in instances where the driver significantly surpasses the speed limit, such as driving at 150 km/hr in a 50km/hr zone, the traffic officer may opt to arrest or prosecute the individual instead of issuing an EPS ticket. If the driver is a repeat offender, they may face charges in court and a fine of Shs 2 million or a three-year prison sentence,” he clarified.

Bageya emphasized Uganda’s commitment to enforcing a 30-kilometer-per-hour speed limit in our most vulnerable communities, where interactions between vulnerable road users and vehicles are frequent.

According to the Police Annual Crime Report for 2023, road crashes increased to 23% in 2023 from 20% in 2022, resulting in the deaths of over 4,806 people and causing serious injuries to 16,736 individuals.

“The increase in crashes was attributed to speeding and reckless driving. Speed management, or controlling speed, is a critical tool for improving road safety in the country. However, many drivers don’t recognize the risks involved in speeding. It’s important to adopt innovative technologies in the management of speed,” Bageya said.

He made these remarks on April 19 in Kampala during the validation workshop for the draft Traffic and Road Safety (Speed Limit) Regulations 2024.

Winston Katushabe, commissioner for Transport and Road Safety in the Ministry of Works and Transport, stated that the speed limit law demonstrates the government’s commitment to implementing UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/74/299, which established the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

“This campaign requests that all governments around the world reduce speed limits in cities, built-up areas, and school zones. Uganda is part of this campaign to save thousands of people who die in road crashes daily, with the majority permanently injured,” he said.

Police say they will continue to enforce the old speed limits until the new law is amended. Ibrahim Kayondo, secretary of the Uganda Bus Drivers’ Association, has endorsed the speed limit regulation and encouraged all drivers to follow it.

Timothy Kimongesi, director of the Centre for Policy Analysis, has urged drivers to adhere to other traffic regulations, including abstaining from drinking and driving, wearing seat belts, using helmets, avoiding overloading, and refraining from using phones while driving.

According to a study by the International Collaboration on Mass Casualty Accidents (ICOMAS) published in Global Public Health, the burden of road traffic injuries (RTIs) is worsening. It is estimated that by 2030, RTIs will become the seventh leading cause of death, surpassing both diabetes and HIV/Aids.

Global Action Plan

In line with the Global Action Plan for Road Safety 2021-2030, spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN), the aim is to halve road traffic deaths and injuries within a decade. The plan highlights that road traffic crashes result in nearly 1.3 million preventable deaths and 50 million injuries annually, making them the leading cause of death among children and young people worldwide.

Irene Namuyiga, Road Safety Engineer and Transport Planner at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), laments that road safety receives only 1% of the national budget. This lack of allocation stems from decision-makers, politicians and stakeholders being unaware of the repercussions of youth loss, increased orphanhood, and school dropouts, all of which strain the country’s development.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Statistical Abstract 2017/18, road crashes cost Uganda approximately Shs 5 trillion ($1.2 billion) annually, accounting for 5% of the country’s GDP.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also reports that road traffic injuries (RTIs) are the leading cause of death among young individuals aged 15 to 29 and rank among the top three causes of death among those aged 15 to 44.

“Road injury deaths are severely under-reported in most sub-Saharan countries. Our estimates are often six times those of official government statistics,” the report states.

According to a study on the burden of road injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa, deaths due to road injuries have increased by 84% since 1990, almost twice the global increase. The report reveals that road injuries claimed the lives of 231,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa in 2010, accounting for almost one-fifth of the global road injury death toll. Additionally, the combined burden of non-fatal road injuries in sub-Saharan Africa exceeded 14 million healthy life years lost.

Jemima Nalumansi, the Kampala coordinator of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), recently noted that developed cities like Brussels and countries such as Spain and France have already committed to implementing a 30km/hr speed limit.