KCCA unveils traffic control centre

KAMPALA. Kampala Capital City Authority on Monday unveiled a pilot traffic control centre that is set to monitor and manage the performance of the traffic network in the city.

While addressing Journalists at her office on Monday, KCCA outgoing executive director, Jennifer Musisi explained that the traffic control centre is also to monitor the radio communications of field activities for the traffic wardens, ambulances, enforcement staff and security personnel.

“The centre is currently used to monitor traffic at the 12 city signalised junctions through surveillance cameras,” Ms Musisi said.

The junctions include; Kabira 1, Kabira 2, Kira Road police station, Fairway junction, Bwaise junction, Junjju junction, Makerere Main Gate and Gaddafi Road.

Others are; Kyadondo Road, Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road, Nakulabye junction and Bukesa next to Mengo senior secondary school on Hoima Road.

The pilot traffic centre, which is already working, was funded by World Bank under the second phase of the Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP-2) with the infrastructural support of the ministry of ICT.

Other partners, Ms Musisi said, are; National Information Technology Authority- Uganda (NITA-U), C-Square Ltd and Uganda Police’s directorate of Traffic and Safety Directorate.

However, Ms Musisi did not reveal the amount of money that was spent on the entire project.
“The traffic control centre is also capable of remote strategic control and it can remotely monitor and correct faults at the signals. For instance, if one of the red lights at the junction failed, a notification would be sent to the in-station unit so that people in the control room can alert traffic officers,” she said.

This new development comes at a time when city traffic lights have been experiencing technical hitches, causing a heavy traffic gridlock.

KCCA further plans to scale the implementation of traffic control centre with more signalised and connected junctions in the next four years.

Ms Musisi noted that the 75 junctions will be funded by World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Government of Uganda and the African Development Bank (ADB).

According to KCCA’s work plan, the future traffic control room shall have among others; a wall map showing the road network, monitor traffic conditions on the road network, parking guidance facilities and disaster management facilities.

Dr Stephen Kasiima, the Director Traffic and Road Safety hailed KCCA for the new development on traffic management in the city.
“Traffic flow in the city interchanges and we need to see how we can use this system to effectively monitor traffic flow in the city. Traffic police is ready to work with KCCA to rid the city of traffic crisis,” he said.

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