Fatal Expressway Crash Reignites Calls for Digital Penalty System

Following a tragic pedestrian fatality on the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, there are strong resurgent calls for the government to bring back the Express Penalty System (EPS). The accident occurred on the busy Busega-Kajjansi section, a stretch known for a particularly dangerous bend.

Eyewitness accounts and images from the scene depicted a severely damaged minivan that had collided with a concrete median barrier. Traffic police were observed at the wreckage, with debris scattered across the road.

While official details and the identity of the deceased are still pending, toll road operators mentioned they had recently conducted a campaign to educate the local community. This campaign aimed to discourage residents from breaching safety fences, crossing the highway illegally, or using unauthorized entry points.

The incident has amplified public frustration over the suspension of the EPS. This automated system, which used speed cameras to enforce traffic laws and issue immediate fines, was halted by the Cabinet for further review. Its removal has left the high-speed expressway with minimal automated oversight.

Commuters like Susan Okurut argue that the EPS was a crucial psychological deterrent for drivers in Uganda. “When drivers know cameras are active, they fear the financial penalties and control their speed,” she stated. Okurut believes that maintaining regulated speeds is vital for drivers to have adequate reaction time in emergencies, suggesting that a driver adhering to the speed limit might have been able to avoid the pedestrian, even if they crossed illegally.

Cyrus Muhirwa, another regular user of the expressway, expressed concerns that the suspension of the enforcement technology has transformed the expensive 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.

Read more on The Observer (Uganda): https://observer.ug/news/renewed-calls-for-eps-return-after-fatal-expressway-crash