The traffic Police in Savannah Region has confirmed four people who perished in a road accident that occurred on Wednesday early morning.
The accident is said to have happened at Luweero involving a drone taxi registration number UBG 392L which was hit by a reversing Tata truck at around 4:30am. Other taxi occupants are said to have sustained severe injuries and were rushed to Luweero Hospital and other health facilities for medical attention.
The truck driver is reported to have fled from the scene after causing the accident. The bodies of the deceased were also taken to Luweero Hospital for postmortem.
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On Monday, the traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura reported to the media that at least 98 people were killed and 336 injured in road crashes that occurred over the past seven days.
The breakdown of fatalities includes 20 pedestrians, 34 motorcyclists, and 44 passengers, either in vehicles or on motorcycles. Motorcycle accidents accounted for nearly half (48%) of the fatal accidents, while car accidents contributed 26%.
Kananura identified careless overtaking, over speeding, and violations of route charts by bus drivers as the primary contributors to these crashes.
Among the most tragic incidents were two bus accidents on the Masaka-Mbarara road. The first involved a Jaguar bus with registration number UBP 964T, which collided with a Canter Tipper and overturned at Kabaale Bugonzi Valley in Kalungu District, resulting in eight fatalities.
Just days earlier, another accident occurred in Kyazanga, Lwengo District, where a bus traveling from Kisoro to Kampala collided with a lorry transporting maize flour, claiming six lives and leaving several others injured. In response to these incidents, Kananura explained that Traffic Police have intensified operations on highways, targeting unlicensed drivers, especially bus drivers who violate the stipulated route charts.
Road accidents remain one of the leading causes of death and disability among young and productive Ugandans. The recently released 2023 Police and Traffic Accident Report indicates a 35% increase in road crashes compared to the previous year.