20 April 2007
editorial
Kampala — Unless the Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998, is amended it is about time we reclaimed our roads from irresponsible drivers of self-important VIPs.
Under the current law, it has been clarified by the police, only the President and Vice President have right of way. The other exception, and in only exceptional circumstances, are the police, fire brigade and ambulances. Their right of way is, however, correctly qualified - only when there is an emergency they are involved in either resolving or averting.
The worst culprits of the apparent road rage have been the easily excitable fellows perched in the cabins of 999 Lancruiser police patrol off-roaders. For the most part they have taken to forcing other motorists and even pedestrians off the road with their criminally aggressive, so-called defensive driving antics.
To a lesser extent, ambulance drivers and the ubiquitous bullions vans in Kampala are a daily nuisance to other patient Ugandans.
Patience is the key word because with Kampala perpetually locked down in traffic gridlock, a motorist is bound to be delayed in the crawling lines of cars. Slow but sure until of course along comes a self-important bullion truck, complete with lights flashing and a deafening cacophony of noise blasting out of its sirens.
The law against noise pollution should be reviewed to include this category. It would not surprise many Ugandans to discover that on most of the occasions an ambulance, escort car of some minister with an inflated sense of their importance or money carrier, is actually not faced with any emergency. But because they have their toys they have indulged the reckless habit to scare the daylights out of other citizens.
This reprehensible practice has to stop, more so since many of our elder motorists may be nursing all manner of heart conditions -- not least high blood pressure. You never know what the blast from a siren might do to such an individual.
This 'boss-man' culture is an abuse of the law, and an insult to the sense of good order and decency that any self-respecting citizens must abide by. If the minister wants to get to the next appointment on time he or she is advised to leave in good time. The same goes for the Speaker of Parliament and his deputy. Alternatively, they can use round-about routes which are less congested.
Ugandans have enough troubles and could do with out further being traumatised by the siren menace.
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