According to the traffic and road safety regulations, a driver of a vehicle is required to exercise extra care in approaching and traversing rail crossings and apply reasonable speed to enable him or her to stop if circumstances so require.
The Association says if the curfew commencement hour remains as it has been over the last two months, many of the operators are unlikely to make ends meet in terms of daily earnings. The driver's body says the commencement of curfew times as announced by the President limits them to one route per day.
Joseph Wambui, a driver from Eldoret in Kenyan claims that drivers who run out of food and lack partners within Uganda are tasked to seek supply from their employers, which is time consuming.
The hostility, they say, started with an increase in the number of Coronavirus cases recorded among truck drivers, mainly those entering the country from Kenya and Tanzania. In recent weeks, more than 100 truck drivers have tested positive to the virus, driving cases of coronavirus in the country now 248.
“As a community, we feel it is not safe for us but, we can’t do anything about it because those engaged in this business are powerful people. These youths plant Jerry cans in front of our shops and whenever trucks make stop overs. An average of 10 boys gather to interact with the drivers as they siphon fuel,” he said.
The accident occurred on Sunday Morning at Kikonda trading centre in Nsambya sub-county Kyankwanzi district. It involved a taxi registration number UBF 037D and a motorcycle registration number UEM 322X.
Esau Kansiime, a resident of Namugongo destined for Kabaale, says although he wanted to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with his family, he couldn't afford to travel during the peak of the season due to among other things the hire transport fares.
The accident occurred at Kyabbogo Village, in Kingo Sub-County when a speeding registration number UAU 523M heading to Kampala from Mbarara rammed into a Toyota Noah registration number UAN 429H whose driver had made an abrupt U-turn.
Brig Ronald Bigirwa, the Commandant of the UPDF Service Brigade made the appeal while presiding over the graduation of 50 drivers and 52 store men at the UPDF School of Supply and Transport-SOST in Jinja district on Friday.
On Wednesday, a team of motorized, non-motorized and non-uniformed officers were seen patrolling black spots at Magamaga, Baitambogwe, Bulanga, Iganga CMS, Nakalama, Namutumba town council area and Busowa. The patrols stem from a spate of accidents in the region, which have claimed more than 21 people within a space of one week.
Kasiima told URN in an exclusive interview that he has instructed traffic police and the Inspector of vehicles to engage the management of Tororo Cement Industries to ensure that DMCs trucks and incompetent drivers are discontinued from the roads.
Kasiima said most traffic officers along the Jinja-Iganga-Tirinyi-Mbale and Iganga-Bugiri-Busia highway lack self-confidence to execute their professional mandate of ensuring sanity in traffic.
The accident occurred at around 4 a.m. on Monday morning, when the trailer registration number UBD 091C/UBD 669H lost control and rammed into the building located on Grant street, along the Iganga-Tororo Highway. It destroyed the waiting area, Cash tills, and the manager's office.
The accident which occurred on Sunday involved a commuter taxi registration number, UAZ 861J from Jinja district which burst its tyres and knocked a motorcycle carrying two passengers who died instantly.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region Police spokesperson has identified the deceased students as Josephine Kirabo, a daughter of renowned retired head teacher in Hoima district, Francis Kemara and Charity Kabigano.
According to James Mubi, the Busoga East Police Spokesperson, the accident resulted from a head-on collision between a YY coach registration number UAX 852F and a taxi registration number UAV 689E.