Members of Parliament have tasked the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to decongest the Central Business District (CBD) by removing boda boda riders and reducing public service vehicles.
In a meeting of the Committee on Physical Infrastructure, Tororo District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon Sarah Opendi said the CBD needs to have less motorized activity.
“This report is silent about the boda boda riders. What is the plan? Should they be left to work outside the CBD?” Opendi asked.
She noted that over the years, KCCA has done nothing to consider the sidewalks for pedestrians.
“KCCA focuses more on constructing roads for cars and does not cater for pedestrians. They do not consider road safety at all yet we have so many accidents in this city. Prioritise road safety especially the walkways,” she said.
Hon Stella Atyang (NRM, Moroto District) suggested that KCCA needs to build tram lines where the drainage channels run as one of the ways to decongest the city.
“Most of the drainage systems are open. Can we consider building trams on top of Nakivubo channel so that cars are left at around Kibuye roundabout so that the CBD is left with limited traffic,” she said.
Hon Moses Kabuusu (FDC, Kyamuswa County) said that delayed road repairs are another cause of traffic congestion in the city.
“When a road gets a pothole and needs repair, they dig it up causing more damage and eventually the road get dilapidated completely. Why do you dig up these potholes with no hope of filling them up immediately?” he asked.
The Deputy Executive Director KCCA, David Ssali Luyimbazi, said decongestion of Kampala will be done by removing vendors and boda boda from the CBD.
“We shall prioritise the walkways as we plan for the roads; we plan to get the roadside vendors off the streets and all taxis back to the old taxi park,” he said.
The Minister of State for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hon Kyofatogabye Kabuye said there are plans where the public service vehicles will be moved from the CBD to the outskirts.
“We shall start by making sure that the buses that travel upcountry stop in areas outside Kampala. For example those on Gulu highway will stop at Bwaise, those from Masaka and Mbarara will stop at Natete while those from Jinja will stop at Banda. We do not need to buy land since there are parks designated in these areas,” he said.