There was joy among residents when several roads were tarmacked in the Albertine region to boost oil and gas activities but the roads have now become death traps due to rampant accidents.

Now road safety experts from the public and private sectors are calling for the enforcement of tough measures to curb fatal accidents in the oil region.

The appeal was made during a road safety seminar organized by Total Energies with partners Safeway Right Way, bringing together the Hoima District and City leaders, boda boda leaders, and other stakeholders, in Hoima City.

According to the 2022 Police Report, a total of 4,534 people died in road crashes countrywide in the year under. This translates to about 12 Ugandans dying every day in road crashes.

In that report, the Albertine region recorded the highest number of road accidents. The Police attributed this to the excitement, speeding, and driving vehicles and motorcycles in dangerous mechanical conditions, among others on the newly paved roads.

The accidents in the Albertine Region were majorly recorded on the Hoima-Kaiso Tonya road, Hoima-Kyenjojo road, Hoima- Masindi road, and the Masindi-Kiryandongo road.

The Albertine Regional traffic officer, Godwin Arineitwe, noted that the districts with the highest road fatalities are Kikuube followed by Buliisa, Hoima, Kiryandongo, and Masindi as well as Hoima city.

James Katunguka, a Senior Road Safety Officer in the Ministry of Works and Transport, noted that road crashes and accidents affect the country socially and economically and therefore must be treated as an emergency.

In a bid to address the rampant road crashes in the Albertine region, Total Energies with partners Safeway Right Way organized a sensitization seminar for the Hoima District and city leadership, Boda boda leaders, and other stakeholders, in Hoima city.

Peter Timbigamba, the Chief Executive Officer of Safeway Right Way, observed that human behavior and/or recklessness is the main cause of road accidents which can be addressed through education and sensitization of road users. He also called for the strict enforcement of traffic rules.

Imran Tumwesige, the secretary of the Hoima City Boda Boda, Association, and Johnson Kusiima, the Hoima City Principal Education 0fficer and other participants in the seminar, advised the government to take that road safety education to schools and boda boda stages to boost sensitization.