Kampala-The Minister of Works and Transport Gen Katumba Wamala has asked boda boda riders to exercise caution while on the road to reduce road carnage in the country.
Road crashes continue to increase with the latest Traffic Police report of 2021 indicating that 4,159 people were killed and 12,589 were seriously injured in road crashes. This was an increase from the 3,663 killed and 8,370 seriously injured in 2020.
Out of the 4,159 people killed, in 2021, 1,390 were motorcyclists accounting for the highest number of road user groups killed. This does not include the motorcycle passengers who were 528.
Gen Katumba attributes this to the poor road usage by boda boda riders which he says needs to be checked to save lives.
Katumba made the remarks on Thursday while officiating at the launch of SAFE STEPS, a road safety campaign aimed at raising awareness about road safety, by providing clear and simple life-saving messages.
“Please we shouldn’t joke about these things. You only have one life and it has no spare. So, while you are on the road, look at others as though they don’t know and yourself as the only one that knows how to use the road. Let those who don’t know go the way they want but know the traffic rules and follow them to protect your life and for your people.
He added, “Think about your families and other dependants. When you get into an accident and die, who will take care of them? What if you survive the accident and get hospitalized for months who will fend for you? We need to change our behavior on the road and protect our lives and other road users.”
The SAFE STEPS campaign was created and developed by Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm of Prudential, in partnership with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and Didier Drogba Foundation, working with Didier Drogba as the Safe Steps Africa ambassador.
Prudential and Prudence Foundation will implement this program in Uganda in partnership with the Uganda Red Cross Society, targeting 10,000 boda-boda riders within the Kampala Metropolitan Area. The campaign will run for six months starting 1 September 2022 to February 2023.
Tetteh Ayitevie, the CEO of Prudential Uganda says Prudential is intentional about addressing issues that affect the livelihoods of the people in the communities in which the business operates.
“Prudential is intentional about doing good, we make this possible by making communities safer, more secure, and resilient by addressing key issues in education, health, and safety. We make this possible by making communities safer, more secure, and resilient by addressing key issues in education, health, and safety. These key issues align with the work of Prudential and are areas we believe we can make a real impact. We are happy to partner with Road Cross in Uganda to help boda-bodas access training on road safety and life-saving emergency care skills,” he said.
The Secretary General, Uganda Red Cross Society, Kwesiga Robert said, “At URCS, we are committed to road safety and recognize the rapid escalation of Uganda’s road safety crisis. Prudential Uganda’s partnership with URCS to implement the Safe Steps campaign by Prudence Foundation will go a long way in encouraging road safety and saving the lives of Ugandans”.
The campaign will also feature a series of 60-second public service announcement videos and educational posters featuring Safe Steps Road Safety Africa Ambassador, Didier Drogba, who offers advice on key road safety topics such as drunk driving, distracted driving, use of seat belts, respecting speed limits, motorcycles and pedestrians.
