Residents and motorists along Gayaza Road in Uganda are raising concerns over the increasing risk of accidents due to missing, faded, and stolen road signs. The road, which connects Kampala to Gayaza, has several sections lacking signs to guide road users on speed limits, pedestrian crossings, turns, and right of way. This has created confusion, particularly in busy areas, and has led to calls for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of life.
Vero Aguti, a resident along the road, said crossing the road has become increasingly difficult, especially during peak hours when vehicles move at high speeds. She urged authorities to install a pedestrian crossing around Kumukaga, where several schools have been established, and warning signs alerting motorists that they are approaching schools. Aguti's concerns are shared by motorists, who say some of the signs that were previously installed have become difficult to see because they have faded.
Motorists who regularly use the road say the situation is particularly dangerous at night, with some road sections having no signs at all. Mande Sennyonjo, a boda boda rider, said he once missed a turn at night because there was no sign warning road users about the junction and the need to slow down. David Kasozi, a truck driver, said the absence of warning signs is also creating problems around areas where heavy trucks turn into and out of the road.
Some residents have alleged that road signs installed in some sections had been stolen and sold as scrap metal, leaving several blind spots without signs and exposing pedestrians and boda boda riders to danger. Traffic police say the consequences of poor signage are already being reflected in accident records, with over two fatal crashes involving a rider and a pedestrian recorded last month between August 27 and 31.
Ssekandi James, a traffic officer based at Kanyanya Police Station, said road signs are intended to caution, guide, and instruct road users, and their absence can create conditions for crashes. He cited a section at Kalerwe, on the Kampala-Gayaza road, where boda boda riders make U-turns to return towards Kalerwe, as a high-risk area. Ssekandi also identified the stretch between Mpererwe and Kumukaga as another high-risk area due to speeding and heavy pedestrian traffic.
The traffic police officer called on the Ministry of Works and Transport to act on reports submitted by the traffic police and address the identified blind spots. He highlighted the junction towards Komamboga, the stretch between Mpererwe and Kumukaga, and the need for pedestrian crossings at Mpererwe as some of the areas requiring urgent intervention. Ssekandi also expressed concern about drivers who obtain licences without adequate training, including people who fail to attend accredited driving schools.
With Gayaza Road carrying increasing traffic and supporting growing settlements along its route, residents and traffic police are now calling for urgent replacement of missing and faded signs, installation of pedestrian crossings and road markings, and stronger enforcement to reduce the risk of further loss of life. The authorities are urged to bring the road to the required standards by installing adequate signage and road markings and ensuring that road safety infrastructure is incorporated into road construction and rehabilitation projects.
Key points
- The absence of road signs on Gayaza Road has led to an increased risk of accidents, with traffic police recording over two fatal crashes last month.
- Residents and motorists are calling for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of life, including the installation of pedestrian crossings and road markings.
- Traffic police are also concerned about drivers who obtain licences without adequate training, which can put other road users at risk.
