Road Safety Concerns Prompt Bus Company to Suspend Services
Recent road accidents have raised serious concerns about safety on Uganda’s roads, prompting a major passenger bus company to take immediate action. Nile Star, a well-known transport operator that runs services from Kampala to the West Nile Sub-region, has decided to suspend its operations for two days as a precautionary measure.
The suspension is effective from November 6 and will last until Sunday. The decision was made in response to a series of road crashes, including one that occurred near Karuma on Wednesday, when a driver attempted to avoid a boda boda cyclist. Another incident took place on November 6 in the Wobulenzi and Lodonga areas.
According to Mr. Mimi Hamid, the operations manager of Nile Star, the suspension aims to restructure the company’s operations and engage with drivers, conductors, and other crew members. The company also plans to hold prayers for both its staff and customers.
“We sat down as a management team and thought about having prayers and sitting with our drivers, conductors, turn men, and other crew who are involved in the buses. We are suspending our transport services for two days—Friday and Saturday—and will resume on Sunday,” he explained.
The company’s decision comes at a time when the country is grappling with a rising number of road accidents. The commissioner of traffic and transport highlighted the recent crash in Kiryandongo, where initial reports suggested 63 deaths, but the actual number of fatalities was 42 across four vehicles involved in the accident.
“This is why we are doing this—to make the public aware of what is happening,” he said.
Recent Crashes Raise Safety Concerns
The recent incidents involving Nile Star’s buses have sparked concerns among passengers traveling between Kampala and the West Nile Sub-region. On Wednesday, one of the company’s buses flipped after the driver tried to avoid a boda boda cyclist. Some passengers suffered minor injuries, according to police.
This follows a tragic crash on October 22, when one of the company’s buses left over 40 people dead and several injured on the busy Kampala-Gulu highway. The accident occurred near Asili farm in Kitaleba village, Kiryandongo District, and involved two buses from different companies, a lorry truck, and a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Mr. Allan Sempebwa, a senior communication officer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, praised the company for taking proactive steps. “For the company to come out and suspend its operations is something good because they are not waiting for the ministry to do that. They are doing it themselves to sort out a few things that might have been a problem.”
Statistics Highlight Growing Road Safety Issues
The Public Relations Officer of the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, SP Michael Kananura, emphasized that most crashes in the country are due to reckless driving. “According to police statistics, most of these crashes have occurred due to reckless driving like speeding, which is avoidable,” he said.
According to the 2024 police report, Uganda recorded 25,107 road crashes, a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year. The total number of casualties reached 25,808, with fatalities rising by 7 percent to 5,144. Serious injuries increased by 1.7 percent to 17,013, while minor injuries rose by 14.6 percent to 3,651.
The report also noted that the most frequent crashes occur on weekends and during evening rush hours. Collisions involving pedestrians, rear-end, and side-swipe incidents were the most common types of accidents.
Ongoing Efforts to Improve Road Safety
As the country continues to deal with the growing number of road accidents, there is an urgent need for improved safety measures. The Ministry of Works and Transport, along with other stakeholders, is working to address these challenges and ensure safer travel for all road users.