There’s need for clarity on new traffic rules
A traffic officer directs a motorist during an operation to nab defaulters of the Express Penalty Scheme on Kira road in Kampala last week. PHOTO | ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Besides the need for much more explanation of the rules, could we have more effort and speed invested in fixing the road infrastructure itself? What about the tendency by traffic police themselves to bypass the rules, such as suspending the use of traffic signals and relying on human hand signals?
The old traffic regulations, first instituted in 2004, lapsed on May 14 this year, ushering in a raft of new rules for the road. Anyone captured violating the new regulations will be subject to heavy penalties, payable within 72 hours, failing which a surcharge of 50 per cent will apply. Many of the new traffic directives are useful and aimed at reducing calamity and road carnage.
Some of the others, such as the 30 km per hour speed limit in urban zones, look ill-advised and under-researched. As the Ministry of Works has promised sensitisation of motorists on the new regulations, it may be prudent to include the rationale for this 30-kilometre per hour guideline. Digital number plates and street cameras are some of the tracking systems to guide enforcement. However, alongside these regulations are many other moving pieces that may not necessarily be resolved in the short or mid-term with enforcement and punishment.
One of the challenges that has been raised as a possible stumbling block to the implementation of the new traffic rules is the absence of road signage in many instances, where it has been vandalised or is otherwise missing. Some regulations, such as carrying children not bound by restraints in cars, may need to be explained to the public in scope and context. Will the mothers carrying babies and children under five in a matatu have to figure out restraints where no provisions exist currently?
What does tampering with an electronic device within a vehicle mean in the context of these rules, and what electronic gadgets fall within this category? Besides the need for much more explanation of the rules, could we have more effort and speed invested in fixing the road infrastructure itself? What about the tendency by traffic police themselves to bypass the rules, such as suspending the use of traffic signals and relying on human hand signals?
What of the traffic signals that are often off late in the evening and night hours? Which rules do drivers follow, then? Can we safely say that all human intervention is behind us, and we are ready to let technology take over? There are still very many drivers on our roads with inadequate driving skills or knowledge of the rules. Raising the levels of driving competence and driver education could help with weeding out some of the violations. The way the directives have been rolled out is designed more to profit from the likely hordes of traffic violators rather than offering real corrective measures.
