Two die after speeding taxi overturns as driver talked on cell phone

Two people have died and scores injured after the driver of a taxi lost control and it overturned several times at Buyange Village, Magada Sub-county in Namutumba District.
The driver of the speeding taxi was reportedly distracted as he talked on phone asking colleagues whether traffic officers in Namutumba were still on duty, a survivor said.
The taxi, that was coming from Mbale and heading towards the Iganga direction, on Sunday evening overturned thrice, killing a 10-year-old pupil and a 39-year-old man.

Mr Herbert Kirya, a businessman who runs a bookshop in Namutumba Town Council said: “I boarded the taxi from Mbale to Namutumba but when we passed River Mpologoma, the driver started talking on phone, asking his fellow drivers whether traffic officers at Nakalama checkpoint were still there."

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The accident involved a bus belonging to Modern Coast that was travelling from Kenya and a trailer registration number ZE 2344 that was from Kampala

"He was trying to dodge traffic officers because the taxi was overloaded yet it was not good mechanical condition. We asked him to first stop the vehicle and talk on phonebut he did not listen,” he said.
The Officer-in-Charge of traffic at Namutumba Police Station, Mr Johnson Tweheyo, said attributed the cause of the accident to reckless driving.

"Survivors told us that the driver was busy talking on phone while driving which made him lose control and the taxi overturned," he said of the taxi that was taking some students to school.
Although it is illegal under the traffic and road safety rules of Uganda, many people continue to drive while texting or talking on phone.