KCCA launches control centre for all traffic lights in Kampala
Kampala Capital City Authority has launched a central command and control center for all traffic lights in the city.
The function was presided over by KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi and the Police director in charge of Traffic, Dr. Stephen Kasiima.
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Speaking at the function, Musisi said that traffic congestion has been a menace to the city for many years and KCCA has for the last seven years tried to solve the issue, adding that the new control centre will be of great use.
“We have in the past seven years tried to solve the issue of traffic congestion through widening of roads, creation of walkways, upgrading and construction of new roads but the problem has persisted. The new facility will now help us monitor and control traffic,”Musisi said during the launch at City Hall on Monday morning.
Through the use of surveillance cameras, the centre is linked to 12 junctions including at Kira road police station, Fairway, Bwaise, Jjunju, Makerere Main gate, Gadhafi road, Kyadondo road,Sir Apollo Kaggwa road, Kabira, Nakulabye and Bukesa.
The traffic control centre according the KCCA Executive Director will come in handy to help in case of accidents and crimes committed at the junctions that are connected to it.
“It helps monitor radio communication for traffic warden, ambulance, enforcement staff and security personnel and in case of any problem, officers on ground can be alerted to act quickly,”Musisi said.
“In case of an accident, officers at the command centre can easily alert the ambulance services to come to the help of the victims.”
She said in the next five years, they would connect over 75 more junctions around Kampala to the control centre to help manage traffic.
“We are working closely with partners to develop a mobile application that drivers and other road users can easily use to know what is taking place on the road. It can help in case of traffic jam, the driver can easily divert to use other safe roads,” she said.
The Police Director in charge of Traffic, Dr.Stephen Kasiima applauded the project as one that will help ease the work of traffic police officers.
“Many road users have been complaining of traffic congestion but this control centre will greatly help to reduce congestion,”Kasiima noted.
He said that the new facility as part of the efforts for a smart city will be of great use especially if it is connected to the CCTV project.
“Together with the CCTV project, t will help save time for road users, reduce fuel costs and also reduced accidents brought by jam.”
The new traffic control centre by KCCA has facilities for relaying live videos from the various junction as well as storage capabilities for footage that can be used for further use.
It can also be used to arrest criminals captured on the surveillance cameras stationed in various junctions.
KCCA has put in place the facility with assistance from various partners including World Bank, Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA),ICT ministry, NITA-U and the Ugandan government.
This facility comes at a time when President Museveni recently launched the smart city CCTV camera project at Nateete police station that will see a total of 5,552 CCTV cameras installed in various parts of the country to help reduce crime.
