The Uganda Police Force in partnership with Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Health, Uganda National Roads Authority launched Operation Fika Salama Extra.
This campaign is a special intervention to reduce road crashes in Uganda.
According to global status report on Road Safety 2018, 1.35 million people died and 50 million sustained injuries globally. Developing economies record higher rates of traffic injuries with 93% of all fatalities coming from Low- and Middle-Income Countries. In Uganda we lose 12 people daily on average in traffic road crashes. It is against this back ground that the Directorate of Traffic and Road safety in partnership with other stake holders have launched operation Fika Salama Extra.
Fika Salama Extra is emphasizing and putting more effort on what has been ongoing i.e. enforcement, Road Safety education & engagement with other stake holders. Fika Salama Extra checkpoints along all major highways will be re- activated from August 2023 to January 2024.
- ENFORCEMENT
- Speed Limit.
Speed is a major risk factor and is among the leading causes of road crashes. An increase in speeds reduces your reaction time, breaking distance and stopping distance. The speed at which a vehicle travels directly influences the risk of a crash as well as the severity of injuries and likelihood of death. Therefore, enforcement is critical for achieving safe use of roads and compliance to speed limits.
Every person who drives a motor vehicle of any class or description on the road at speed greater than the prescribed maximum speed limit in respect of that road commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 2million shillings or imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or both. At the discretion of the overall commander, the offender can be issued with an express penalty of 200,000/= Ugx.
- Traffic Police will conduct snap checks along dark spots on major highways depending on intelligence.
- We shall also use CCTV cameras to monitor & capture offenders. This information will be passed on to the officers at the Fika Salama Extra Check Points.
- Habitual offenders will be taken to court for prosecution.
- Drivers of PSV Motor Vehicles who will violate this law will also be taken to court
- Drivers that will fail to comply at the checkpoints will be blacklisted, tracked and motor vehicles will be impounded.
281 Drivers were captured by CCTV Cameras for violating speed limit along Kampala- Entebbe Express in an operation conducted for 13 hours.
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- Driving with blood alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit (C/S 111 T&RS Amendment Act 2020)
Drink driving is a risk factor and it has been identified as a major cause of death not only in Uganda but worldwide, alcohol impairs both the driver’s vision and decison making and this puts all road users at high risk of injury or death. The Traffic Directorate has identified high risk roads where most accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol occur i.e Ggaba Road, Jinja Road, Kiira Rd, Entebbe Road, Kampala -Entebbe Express Way, Northern by pass and some streets in Central Business District (CBD). We have therefore decided to intensify operations targeting drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol.
Section 111 of T & RS Amendment Act 2020 provides for the offence of driving with blood alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit. The Traffic and Road Safety (Prohibited Drugs and Alcohol Limit) Regulations 2023 provides for both prescribed blood alcohol levels and prescribed breath alcohol levels;
- Regulation 3 provides that the prescribed blood alcohol level a driver of a vehicle other than a public service vehicle or ambulance is 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood while that of a driver of a public service vehicle or ambulance is 20 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of blood.
- Regulation 4 provides that the prescribed breath alcohol level for a driver of a vehicle other than a PSV or ambulance is 25 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of blood while that of a driver of a PSV or ambulance is 10 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath.
Section 111 (1) of the Traffic and Road Safety Amendment Act 2020 provides that a person who contravenes this law is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 6,000,000 Ugx or Imprisonment not exceeding three years or Both.
At the discretion of the overall commander, the offender can be issued with an express penalty scheme of 200,000/= Ugx
Last Friday, we arrested 38 drivers who were found to be driving under the influence of alcohol from the operations carried out along Ggaba & Jinja Road.
We are therefore extending these operations to cover the entire Kampala Metropolitan Area, other cities and some highways that have been identified.
In these operations we have added a component of taking biometrics (Finger prints) so as to have a profile (Database) of drivers who will have been found to be driving motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol. This database will subsequently be integrated with that of INTERPOL
Fika Salama Extra Operations will also look at other offences which include careless overtaking, driving without valid driver’s license, driving out of class, Carrying excess passengers, dangerous loading, driving a motor vehicle in a dangerous mechanical condition.
We have committed teams to do these operations with enough equipment which are well calibrated.
- SENSITIZATIONS
The Fika Salama Extra shall also focus on Joint Sensation on road safety to improve and promote road user behaviors or discipline through the following means;
- We shall continue to use media e.g TV stations, Radio stations and newspapers to reach out to road users.
- Conduct physical engagements from Bus terminals, taxi parks, markets, schools, churches, mosques, boda boda stages etc
- Social media platforms e.g Twitter, whatsapp, tiktok and police website to circulate road safety messages.
- Road safety brochures, stickers, flyers and banners with road safety messages in different languages will be distributed at Fika Salama Extra check points.
In the month of August, we have so far covered total number 20 TV Shows, 89 Radio Shows and 247 Physical Engagements on Road safety sensitizations across the country targeting all road users with emphasis on primary school going children aimed at creating road safety awareness.
We thus take this opportunity to thank all those TV Stations and Radio stations which have given us free airtime to reach out to the public.
The Public can Report Traffic Violation on our Toll free number Tel: 0800199099.
I appeal to all road users to abide by the traffic laws and regulation to ensure safety on our roads. I thank you
SP KANANURA MICHAEL
PRO DIRECTORATE OF TRAFFIC AND ROAD SAFETY
