The newly constructed Kampala flyover will not be open to pedestrians, bodas, or cars weighing more than 7.5 tons, according to General Edward Katumba Wamala, Minister of Works and Transport.
He informed reporters last week that the flyover is not designed to accommodate large trucks, pedestrians, or Boda Bodas.
Additionally, he disclosed that the tunnel leading to Arena Mall in Nsambya does not have any arrangements for the same.
Advising pedestrians to always utilize the designated crossing places, he warned that anyone knocked down at the flyover from any other point on the road would not receive compensation.
Additionally, Katumba asked Ugandans to work with him and report government vehicles that are driven carelessly by snapping images of them and posting them to social media so that the drivers can be taken into custody.
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) was given an order by Katumba to implement the 2019 Road Safety Act, which forbids operating a business in road reserves or by the side of the road.
According to him, this obstructs traffic flow and restricts pedestrians’ ability to use the route.
A person who conducts business on a road reserve or the shoulders of the road violates the Road Safety Act and faces up to 168 currency points in fines if found guilty. Each currency point is worth 20,000 Shillings, up to a maximum of 7 years in prison, or both.
The smart city initiative, launched by KCCA in 2022, resulted in the eviction of several street vendors and traders from the city centre and other divisions.
Notwithstanding the KCCA’s attempts to remove the vendors, they have resorted to operating on the streets and conducting business.
The Deputy Executive Director of KCCA, David Luyimbazi, stated that the organization lacks clearly defined road reserves and that in accordance with the minister’s directives, KCCA will prevent individuals from conducting business from the frontages of the land that separate the building from the street.
He continued by saying that KCCA will carry out the Authority’s post-NAM plan, which is designed to ensure that the city is free of traffic. He went on to say that regular supervision and enforcement would take place. The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Director of Road Infrastructure, John Bosco Ssejjemba, announced that the organization will select from the NAM initiatives to clear the road reserves in cooperation with KCCA.
