The Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah has advised the Members of Parliament and the public to be more observant and careful as they use roads to avoid accidents. The Deputy Speaker said that the United Nations had declared 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety and proclaimed through the Operationalisation of the UN Resolution 64/255. “Honourable Members, you are requested to support the objectives of the UN Decade and to observe the traffic laws and regulations in order to save lives, not only of the children but other road users as well,” he added.
As the UN decade enters its 4th year, the UN General Assembly declared the Road Safety Week from 4th -11th May. The theme this year is “Children and Road safety”. Members were raised concerns that many lives are lost due to road accidents and that drivers in Uganda needed more training in order to reduce the number of accidents. The members further agreed that having just a week of sensitisation is not enough the drive needed to be a continuous programme so that a preventative Road Safety Mechanism is developed.
Jack Wamanga Wamai (FDC Mbale Municipality) informed the house that most drivers in Uganda are not conversant with the road regulations. He noted that there were no road signs near schools and where they were, the sign posts are right next to the school rendering them moot. This does not give the drivers ample time to reduce speed and hence the many accidents around this area. “The process of getting driving permits is absurd. Citizens now just do a two hour exam. In our days we had rigorous exercises before we could have the driving permits. The Police Force therefore, needs to revive the vigorous exercise before licences are issued,” he added.
The Vice Chairperson of the Gender Committee, Rwakajara Arinaitwe, (NRM workers) expressed his displeasure at the fact that the statistics according to WHO showed that 180 children have lost their lives in accidents.

The debate was held in Parliament in commemoration of the Road Safety week.