The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has changed the Nkumba lights flow section in response to recent road crashes along the Kampala-Entebbe Highway.
The changes include the removal of the first set of traffic signals on the Kampala side and closing the median opening with jersey barriers as a temporary solution which will also prevent pedestrian crossovers and facilitate the uninterrupted flow of traffic at the junction.
This configuration has been identified as a safety risk as motorists are more likely to see the second traffic signal before the first one.
As a result of these changes, vehicles from Kampala towards Entebbe will no longer be able to turn at this location. Instead, right-turning traffic will be redirected to the next junction with traffic lights, thereby reducing the risk of accidental turns at this section.
Motorists from Entebbe who were previously making a right turn to connect to the Nkumba University area will now need to proceed to the Mpala interchange, where they can turn around and return to Nkumba.
The Katabi Town Council chairperson, Ronald Kalema, when asked about the new changes, said that it is unfortunate that UNRA has waited for this long to fix such a simple solution to the problem that has taken many lives and left several people with damages.
According to Francis Lumba, a boda boda rider on a stage next to the spot, there is a worry about passengers that will be moving to Entebbe resisting an increment of the charges due to the extra distance of proceeding to Mpala interchange.
“Because now we are being directed to only turn at Mpala roundabout to Entebbe, we have to add an extra charge to our passengers of which I am not sure whether they will comply. Therefore they would have added on the height of the first lights to solve this issue,” he said.
John Muhire, a Councilor at Katabi Town Council, lauds UNRA, saying it’s a great idea and solution to the continuous crushes that have happened in this area.
Many incidents have happened at this spot, including one that took the life of Raphael Okiot in a Mitsubishi RVR UBQ 371P, which was crushed by the concrete mixing truck UAN 836D in April this year.
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