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WE NEED A BETTER SOLUTION FOR KAMPALA TRAFFIC




I am sure I am not the only one feeling it. Kampala’s traffic is becoming increasingly unbearable. Even the removal of roundabouts around the city seem to have an opposite effect to the intended purpose of easing traffic flow in the city.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has an ambitious plan of flyovers, underground tunnels and railway transport, which should help the cause, I hope.

The snarl ups that we are coming fast accustomed to, are not only an issue of teeth grinding inconvenience but have a real cost on our economy by hampering and increasing the cost of doing business.

A recent World Bank report suggests that as an economy, we are losing about sh3trillion annually due to traffic jams. The losses come in form of delayed deliveries, higher fuel consumption and the health consequences of seating in a smoke filled environment.

To put this in perspective this is the combined budget of the health, agriculture and ICT ministries in this year’s budget. Or to bring this closer to home, this money could be used to construct 4600 well equipped secondary schools.

I suspect that if a study was done, there may be a correlation between our current economic woes and the log jams on our roads. The logic is simple, the faster we can move people, goods and services around the more vibrant and productive the economy.

There is enough research to show that while improving road networks seems the obvious way to reduce traffic jams it is not effective. In fact studies show that initiatives to widen roads in cities only meant that the number of cars grew to fill up the extra space – a tendency I suspect is happening in our Kampala.

In the early 2000s several western cities including London implemented a congestion tax. The authorities charged any car driving into the city. The results have been a reduction of up to 20 percent of cars coming into the city, improvements in public transport, greater use of bicycles and more funds to invest in the city infrastructure.

I like that this plan hits several birds with one stone – more revenues for the city, improved infrastructure and public transport facilities.

From a lay man’s perspective I think we would be better served by a flyover at the Fairway cross way. At the height of peak of hour that crossing, which was previously a roundabout has people stuck there for more than half an hour.

A flyover there which could cost a few million dollars and could be paid for by a sh100 tax collected through a toll system or off our fuel over two to three years.

And a reduction in car use in Kampala would make it easier to plan an effective transport system we so badly need. Bus lanes will become practical and we can even begin to think about restricting boda bodas to the surburbs where there will be less of a menace to law abiding road users.

On an individual level, it would make our economic decisions of how we use our car ore rationale, as it would not make sense to drive into town for every small little purchase.

As it is now I have friends who do not even bother coming into the city center – never on weekdays and barely on weekends. The businesses in the city are suffering and the ramp up in commercial building space may be for nothing if current trends continue. It will be futile to collect money from these property owners. And even if the properties are attached the new owners will have no better luck.

This is a serious issue and one we should all look to find a solution sooner or later.

( JULY 2017)


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