KCCA should walk the talk on upgrading roads

What you need to know:

The issue: KCCA unveils plans
Our view: There should be a deliberate attempt to allow traffic lights to regulate traffic flow. Otherwise, why install traffic lights at critical junctions, switch it on, but instead deploy traffic police to regulate traffic flow at those junctions with all the accompanying flaws?

In an effort to decongest and ease movement in and around the city, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has unveiled an elaborate plan to upgrade roads and revamp the transport system in the city, complete with procuring 100 eco-friendly buses.
No doubt, the rollout of the plan, especially now when Kampala City is characterised by traffic gridlock, chaotic transport system, narrow and potholed roads, is long overdue. In fact, Kampala residents and everyone who visits or travels through the city needed the unveiling yesterday.
For a long time, there has been increasing concerns over the city’s lack of reliable transport network, leaving workers, businesspeople, and commuters, among others, at the mercy of a very disorganised taxi and boda boda, and sometimes pick-up trucks operators.
It is our hope that the planned upgrade of roads and transport system will offer the city convenient and clearly designated stages for boda boda riders, bus, and taxi operators. However, is critical that the proposed innovations also define who qualifies to be a bus or taxi operator (both driver and conductor), a taxi tout (if at all we need them), a boda boda rider, and so on.
Many city commuters have often been misled, mugged and insulted or even hurt by unscrupulous characters who masquerade as stage guides. This new plan should help to weed out such people.
The good news is that the 80-seater capacity buses, if procured, will go a long way in bringing down the number of commuter taxis in the city, hence this will ease both human motor traffic in the city.
In regard to roads, it is vital that on top of constructing, upgrading, paving and dualling of selected roads to four lanes as planned, the city authorities may wish to liaise with either Uganda National Roads Authority or neighbouring districts authorities such as Mukono, Wakiso and Mpigi to ensure that access roads to the city are in passable state. This critical in that unless motorists can enter or leave Kampala with ease, the city will continue to experience traffic jam.
Besides, there should be a deliberate attempt to allow traffic lights to regulate traffic flow. Otherwise, why install traffic lights at critical junctions, switch it on, but instead deploy traffic police to regulate traffic flow at those junctions with all the accompanying flaws?
We believe that the KCCA plans, though not exhaustive, is still good enough to give Kampala a deserved ease of travelling, which we all yearn for. All that remains is that KCCA should not stop unveiling the plan, but it should also walk the talk.