Motorists face heavy punishment for stopping in yellow box junctions
Motorists in Kampala have been warned that they could face a heavy fines or punishment if caught stopping in yellow box junctions or making illegal U-turns.
The warning was issued shortly after the directorate of engineering and technical services at Kampala Capital City authority (KCCAA) held a yellow box and pedestrian signals awareness meeting in Kampala.
The meeting was attended by various stakeholders, including boda boda riders, taxi operators, bus operators, Ministry of Works and Transport and Uganda Police among others.
KCCA together with the police is using traffic enforcement in order to manage roads known to be hotspots for traffic offences, like banned right or left turns, illegal U-turns and going the wrong way in a one-way street.
Irene Namuyiga, a road safety engineer at KCCA noted that the objective of the meeting was to disseminate the proper use of junctions and the respect for the yellow box at the junctions and also educate the same about the pedestrian crossings at signals.
The yellow box is a road traffic control measure designed to prevent congestion and gridlock at junctions. The yellow box is placed on the road junction to create a traffic free space that prevents gridlocks.
These were introduced in Kampala six months ago to help ease on the traffic jam in the city but several motorists continue to abuse them.
In a bid to curb this abuse and reduce congestion and make roads safer in the city, KCCA has started sensitisation engagements with road users on proper road usage.
The rule, therefore, is that motorists must ensure that the road ahead is clear before entering the yellow box as stopping in the box is a breach of regulations.
Namuyiga said all motorists including boda boda riders are supposed to respect this rule.
Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Police Commander Rogers Nsereko said they hope that cracking down on offences such as blocking junctions will help improve on road safety and traffic flow.
"You are not supposed to drive into the junction and wait in the available space. You will block the other vehicles that have way and could have gone but now they will not proceed because you have blocked them," Nsereko said.
