Local authorities and regular commuters along the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway have renewed pressure on the government to reinstate the digital Express Penalty System (EPS), following a horrific Sunday crash that left a pedestrian dead.
The incident occurred on the busy Busega–Kajjansi stretch, near a notorious sharp bend. Grim images from the scene showed a badly mangled black minivan compressed against the concrete median barrier, with debris littered across the dual carriageway as traffic police and expressway teams inspected the wreckage.
By press time, police were yet to identify the deceased or release a comprehensive accident report. However, operators of the toll road revealed they had recently concluded a community sensitisation campaign, warning surrounding residents against breaking safety fences, crossing the high-speed highway, or using unauthorised access points.
The fatal crash has quickly reignited public outrage over the suspension of the EPS. The automated system, which utilised speed cameras and technology to track traffic offenders and instantly issue penalties, was abruptly shelved by Cabinet for “review”, leaving the high-speed corridor largely self-regulated.
Susan Okurut, a frequent user of the highway, told The Observer that automated enforcement is the only psychological deterrent capable of taming Ugandan motorists.
“When drivers know cameras are active, they fear the financial penalties and control their speed,” Okurut said.
She argued that maintaining manageable speeds gives drivers critical reaction time during emergencies. “Even if the pedestrian crossed illegally, a driver maintaining the speed limit would have had a realistic chance to spot and avoid them.”
Another regular commuter, Cyrus Muhirwa, warned that shelving the enforcement technology has turned the multi-million-dollar infrastructure into a death trap.
“As long as speeds on the expressway remain unregulated as they were under EPS, these fatalities will not stop. In fact, they are going to get much worse,” Muhirwa warned.
Imagine you’re in a 100kph section then some fool jumps out of no where on foot … on the Express Way!!! What miracles can you do in that incident? After the fact, won’t we the naysayers point finger accusing you of over-speeding?
EPS or not, there’s no justification for those fools who trudge the Express Way on their feet. These need express sentences like 10 years in prison without appeal; that should help too.