Ronald Amanyire works as a road safety officer for Uganda's transport ministry. He says private companies took over the country's speed camera system. The system was supposed to make roads safer but turned into a money maker instead. Amanyire warned officials about problems with the cameras but nobody listened. He has worked on road safety for 25 years and knows the system well.
The cameras sit at spots where they catch the most drivers going fast. This makes people angry because it seems like a trap for collecting fines. The government stopped using the camera system after public complaints. Minister Katumba Wamala will make a statement about what happens next. People filed lawsuits and politicians demanded changes to the program.
Safety groups pushed for a 30 mph speed limit in cities around the world. Uganda adopted this limit without studying whether it works on their crowded roads. The groups wanted to show international donors they were working on safety. Most people never got a chance to give their opinion about the new rules. Officials held meetings but only police and safety groups attended.
Drivers used to have 28 days to pay speeding tickets. The government cut this down to just three days in 2020. Late payments still cost an extra 50 percent on top of the original fine. Amanyire thinks the extra charge should drop to 10 percent since people have less time to pay.
The cameras sit at spots where they catch the most drivers going fast. This makes people angry because it seems like a trap for collecting fines. The government stopped using the camera system after public complaints. Minister Katumba Wamala will make a statement about what happens next. People filed lawsuits and politicians demanded changes to the program.
Safety groups pushed for a 30 mph speed limit in cities around the world. Uganda adopted this limit without studying whether it works on their crowded roads. The groups wanted to show international donors they were working on safety. Most people never got a chance to give their opinion about the new rules. Officials held meetings but only police and safety groups attended.
Drivers used to have 28 days to pay speeding tickets. The government cut this down to just three days in 2020. Late payments still cost an extra 50 percent on top of the original fine. Amanyire thinks the extra charge should drop to 10 percent since people have less time to pay.
