By Caroline Kanshabe
Police have announced that they have kicked off drink-driving operations targeting mostly drivers of passenger vehicles on all roads and highways around the country.
Addressing journalists on Monday, Traffic Police spokesperson, Michael Kananura said as the festive season draws near, they have scaled up their operations on the road.
“We are activating all Fika Salama checkpoints and speed zones. At these checkpoints, drivers of passenger vehicles will be tested for drink driving, especially bus drivers. We have also increased our motorized patrols. We have been able to arrest some bus drivers in these drink-driving operations,” Kananura said.
“We shall also increase our operations on speeding using speed guns and CCTV cameras, checking on driving licences and triangular reflectors.”
The traffic police spokesperson warned that as the festive season draws near, cases of indiscipline increase on the road.
He mentioned that over speeding, increase in traffic on roads, inexperienced drivers including those who have taken long without driving, vehicles in dangerous mechanical condition, carrying excess passengers, unauthorized vehicles carrying passengers and those driving without driving licences as some of the risk behaviours on the road as the festive season draws near.
“There are always increases cases of distracted driving and driving while fatigued as many motorists want to reach their destinations no matter the circumstances which can lead to accidents.”
The traffic police spokesperson said they will be strict on these ones as one of the ways to prevent accidents on Ugandan roads.
According to police, in the past one week, a total of 390 accidents were registered in various parts of the country where 73 people were killed and 298 were injured.
The traffic police spokesperson said 39 of these fatalities involved motorcycles with 15 passengers, 24 riders and 27 pedestrians involved.
He noted that a total of 1533 motorcycles were impounded for various offences including riding without licences(800), riding without helmets(488), 52 in dangerous mechanical condition, 31 carrying more than one passengers and 116 motorcycles were impounded for other offences.
