By HOMELAND MEDIA TEAM,
The Uganda Police have announced the reinstatement of Operation Fika Salama among other interventions in a bid to contain fatalities on Ugandan roads.
According to Police Traffic department report of the past two months, over 250 people have been killed on Ugandan roads.
Pioneered in 2016 by the Uganda National Roads Authority(UNRA) and enforced by Traffic Police and other sister security agencies, Operation Fika Salama was a special intervention aimed at checking on errant drivers on major highways.
Several check points were erected in various roads but whereas these are still available, they have not been as serious as before.
Addressing journalists on Monday, Traffic Police spokesperson, Faridah Nampiima said in the wake of continued road carnage, they have resolved to resume serious operations targeting drivers on the road.
“We are re-launching the fika salama operations at our fika salama check points which will operate 24 hours and seven days. To this, we are going to add more man power,”Nampiima said.
She explained that they are to establish checkpoints at newly identified black spots on the road which will also be manned day and night as well as increase motorised patrols
“We are strengthening operations on speeding using the already deployed speed guns and carrying out operations on reckless driving and other offences that are largely responsible for road carnage. All offenders will be issued with express penalty ticket except for offences of failing to stop, drink drive, causing bodily injury where offenders and any repeated offenders will be produced in courts of law.”
According to Nampiima, Traffic Police will also enhance community policing and sensitizing members of the public on how to use roads and ensuring safety.
The heightened traffic operations come on the backdrop of the increasing road carnage in the country.
The police annual crime report for the year 2021 released earlier this month indicated that the number of road accidents increased by 42% from 12249 in 2020 to 17443 in 2021.
According to the report, at least 12 people were killed on average every day in 2021, a statistic which is alarming.
However, police attributes the biggest percentage of road crashes to human error including reckless driving, overspeeding and driving vehicles in dangerous mechanical conditions.
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