A driver with Real Bus Company, David Mukembo, and his yet-to-be-identified conductor were killed in a road crash after their vehicle lost control and rammed into the rear of an Isuzu truck on Sunday morning.
Two unidentified male passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to Luwero General Hospital, while other occupants of both vehicles escaped unhurt. The accident occurred at around 4:00 am in Kiwumpa village, Luwero town, along the Kampala–Gulu highway, according to Savannah Regional police spokesperson Sam Twiineamazima.
Twiineamazima said both vehicles were travelling from Luwero towards Kampala when the collision occurred. The bodies of the deceased were taken to Luwero General Hospital mortuary pending postmortem examination.
Police also towed the wreckage of the bus and truck to Luwero central police station as investigations into the cause of the accident continue. Last Sunday, four students from St Peter’s Naalya Secondary School were injured in Nakasongola district along the same highway when a school coaster, followed by an ambulance, drifted into the opposite lane while overtaking a trailer and collided head-on with a fuel tanker.
Nearly every week, the stretch between Luwero and Nakasongola registers fatal accidents. Savannah Regional Traffic Police blame reckless driving, drink-driving and narrow road sections, among other factors, for the recurring crashes.
Tragic! May the souls of the deceased be at peace from our troubled world.
But what happened to the Speed-governor regulation for Upcountry Passenger Buses? In the good-old-days of UTC Buses (60 and 70s up to 1985), with the average speed of 80km/hr, there were very few highway fatalities.
The tragedies on our highways is that: most if not all the Bus drivers, graduated from the notoriously undisciplined Taxi Drivers! E.g. at highspeed, including blind sharp corners; they overtake from anywhere anytime!