It’s Sunday afternoon, as one looks forward to a moment at the beach in Entebbe, they are shocked to land in the mother of chokepoints that is the Busega Roundabout. Yet, Busega is not the only case of an ever-increasing mobility problem in Kampala, Uganda. Movement in Kampala is becoming complex by the day. An average Kampala resident spends at least two hours of their day navigating traffic. This has over-bearing consequences, first on the individual’s productivity and well-being, on the output of the economy and on the environment.
Traffic jams are a leading contributor to carbon-dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Development Goal 7 speaks about ‘making cities safe, inclusive, resilient and sustainable’. In Kampala, this goal remains out of sight with the complexity around urban mobility.
These traffic chokeholds are also resulting in increments in crime, as bystanders take advantage of such moments. If our cities are to be safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, then urban mobility must be top priority for city planners and implementers. Progressive policy and framework should be developed to enhance urban mobility.
A renewed focus on an enhanced and reliable public transportation system ought to take centre stage. As Kampala’s urban population grows, more of it continues to reverse to private transportation. A fully-fledged and functional public transportation system could help reverse the current hold-ups. Yet, financing for such projects must not be wished aside. Kampala city and other African cities must devise means of designing successful public-private projects aimed at addressing some of these urban mobility challenges.
Africa Nxt Gen posits that developing the night economy could also help on traffic smoothening. Currently, all the movements happen in the morning peak hours, lunch time and evening peak hours. Organizations could collaborate and rethink remote working, introduction of night shifts among other tactical interventions.
In Kampala, this urban mobility challenge can further be solved by opening more routes and maintaining the existing ones. Potholes do not help the situation. With all the countryside roads well maintained and feeding into the city, this has created a perfect puzzle. Without the proper road infrastructure in the city, Kampala will continue to bare the high cost of congestion and the growing urban immobility.
Africa Next Gen Infrastructure: Solving Urban Mobility in Kampala
It’s Sunday afternoon, as one looks forward to a moment at the beach in Entebbe, they are shocked to land in the mother of chokepoints that is the Busega Roundabout. Yet, Busega is not the only case of an ever-increasing mobility problem in Kampala, Uganda. Movement in Kampala is becoming complex by the day. An average Kampala resident spends at least two hours of their day navigating traffic. This has over-bearing consequences, first on the individual’s productivity and well-being, on the output of the economy and on the environment.
Traffic jams are a leading contributor to carbon-dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Development Goal 7 speaks about ‘making cities safe, inclusive, resilient and sustainable’. In Kampala, this goal remains out of sight with the complexity around urban mobility.
These traffic chokeholds are also resulting in increments in crime, as bystanders take advantage of such moments. If our cities are to be safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, then urban mobility must be top priority for city planners and implementers. Progressive policy and framework should be developed to enhance urban mobility.
A renewed focus on an enhanced and reliable public transportation system ought to take centre stage. As Kampala’s urban population grows, more of it continues to reverse to private transportation. A fully-fledged and functional public transportation system could help reverse the current hold-ups. Yet, financing for such projects must not be wished aside. Kampala city and other African cities must devise means of designing successful public-private projects aimed at addressing some of these urban mobility challenges.
Africa Nxt Gen posits that developing the night economy could also help on traffic smoothening. Currently, all the movements happen in the morning peak hours, lunch time and evening peak hours. Organizations could collaborate and rethink remote working, introduction of night shifts among other tactical interventions.
In Kampala, this urban mobility challenge can further be solved by opening more routes and maintaining the existing ones. Potholes do not help the situation. With all the countryside roads well maintained and feeding into the city, this has created a perfect puzzle. Without the proper road infrastructure in the city, Kampala will continue to bare the high cost of congestion and the growing urban immobility.
Photo Credit: Prince Beguin on Unsplash
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