Easter road accidents, deaths decline

Police have reported that road accidents during Easter in the country have reduced to 45 this year from 121 last year.

National Police assistant public relations officer Felix Misomali said in an interview yesterday that deaths from road accidents have also reduced to 14 from 16 last year.

He attributed the decline to intensification of road traffic checks nationwide by the police. The enforcement included speed camera and drive and drive checks.

Misomali said: “The service intensified traffic checks day and night, including sensitisation meetings on road safety nets to further reduce road accidents in the country.

“The sensitisation meetings were mostly done prior to Easter and this remains an ongoing exercise which we believe will go a long way in reducing road accidents.”

Meanwhile, police say they remain firm on impounding motorcycle taxi operators popularly known as kabaza following their proliferation in the country’s central business districts of cities.

Besides causing the accidents largely due to lack of basic knowledge of the Highway Code, the motorcycle taxi operators  (kabaza) have of late suffered attacks from unknown assailants posing as customers.

But Misomali yesterday said police continues to impound those riding without licences as well as using unregistered motorcycles.

In June 2021, government gave the motorcycle taxi operators six months to get training and licences in a bid to reduce road traffic accidents.

During the first half of 2021, 206 people died in accidents involving motorcycles.