A PRESENTATION ON NON-MOTORISED TRANSPORT (NMT) INITIATIVES IN UGANDA BY MR.BENON.M.KAJUNA COMMISSIONER FOR POLICY AND PLANNING

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1 REPUBLIC OF UGANDA MINISTRY OF WORKS AND TRANSPORT A PRESENTATION ON NON-MOTORISED TRANSPORT (NMT) INITIATIVES IN UGANDA BY MR.BENON.M.KAJUNA COMMISSIONER FOR POLICY AND PLANNING 1

2 PRESENTATION OUTLINE Over view of Uganda`s Transport Sector Brief on Uganda`s Transport Policy Brief on Road Transport Services in Uganda, Its deficiencies and constraints NMT Challenges in Uganda Planned interventions for NMT in Uganda Conclusion 2

3 Overview of Uganda`s Transport Sector Uganda uses a multi-modal transport system, based on road, air, railway, lake and river transport services. 1. Road network is classified into : National Roads 20,800 km District Roads 27,500 km Urban Roads 4,800 km Community Roads 35,000 km. 2. Rail Transport Total Uganda rail network is 1,266 km However, only 330 km is operational,.i.e. Malaba to Kampala (250 km), Tororo-Mbale (55km) and Kampala-Port Bell (9km) Other lines were closed due to their technical deficiencies and inadequate traffic volumes, though Feasibility studies for their rehabilitation/upgrading are near completion. 3

4 Overview of Uganda`s Transport Sector 3. Inland water Transport Uganda`s inland water transport system in has three (3) main components, namely: a) Wagon ferry services on Lake Victoria ; b) Short distance road vehicle ferries acting as road bridges; c) Informal sector operations by individually owned canoes. URC Wagon ferry services ceased in 2005 after two of the Ugandan ferries were involved in a mid-lake collision However, Plans to refurbish and reinstate the two wagon ferries are in final stages 4. Air Transport Uganda`s air transport is dominated by the international sector, with very low levels of usage in the domestic market; The main international airport is at Entebbe International Airport with a main runway of 3,600 metres; Five upcountry airports i.e. Gulu, Arua, Kasese, Pakuba, and Kidepo, are designated as entry-exit points; There are 60 licensed airfields around the country, only about 30 are in current use, with 19 having regular services. 4

5 MANAGEMENT OF UGANDA`S TRANSPORT SECTOR The transport sector in Uganda is steered by the Ministry of Works and Transport whose mission is to promote adequate, safe and well maintained works and transport infrastructure and services for socio-economic development of Uganda. Other key actors in Uganda s transport sector include: UNRA responsible for development and maintenance of national roads; URF responsible for financing maintenance of public roads; CAA responsible for management of Uganda`s air transport sub-sector; URC responsible for railway transport; KCC and other Urban and District Local governments responsible for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads district, urban and community access roads. MoLG responsible for coordinating the financing of district roads MoFPED, and Development Partners responsible for mobilizing sector funding Private Sector Service Providers responsible for promoting professionalism and selfregulation of standards and codes of conduct in the transport infrastructure sector. 5

6 UGANDA`S TRANSPORT POLICY Uganda`s Transport Policy is set within the principles of Government s overall economic policy and strategy which include the eradication of poverty, liberalization of the economy, and decentralization of public sector responsibilities. Uganda s medium-term transport sector policy aims at promoting cheaper, efficient and reliable transport services as the means of providing effective support to increased agricultural and industrial production, trade, tourism, social and administrative services. While implementing this policy, emphasis is placed on the promotion of active private sector participation while Government role is limited to regulation, provision policy guidelines and cost-effective, development of a technically sound, economically and politically justified and financially sustainable infrastructure. 6

7 UGANDA`S TRANSPORT POLICY Continued Key Features Contribute, through transport services, to an increase in trade, employment and a reduction in poverty; Improve access to public services, markets, and employment, through improved rural and urban transport infrastructure; Ensure good customer choice by promoting provision of efficient inter-modal interchange facilities; Promote private sector operation of transport services, and encourage private sector investment in infrastructure; Promote equitable treatment of different transport modes, allowing efficiency and modal suitability to determine modal split; Promote modal integration, including container transhipment facilities at interchange points between all modes; Ensure safety of transport networks and operations; Establish a long-term master plan to guide rational and complementary development of all modes; Promote greater integration of Government and land use planning in Kampala and other urban areas and seek to reduce the need for motorised transport in Kampala City centre; Provide a safe environment for pedestrian and non-motorised transport; Promote equal opportunities for women in employment and provision of services; \ 7

8 BRIEF ON ROAD TRANSPORT SERVICES IN UGANDA Road transport remains the dominant form of transport, carrying over 95% of country`s goods traffic and 99% for the case of passenger traffic; Road traffic has continued to grown rapidly in recent years, especially in the GKMA; Current national vehicle population is estimated at 635,656 vehicles (including motorcycles) with a potential growth of more than 10% per annum, and half of which are located in the city or ply the city roads daily; Commercial passenger and goods transport by road is exclusively performed by the private sector; Passenger transport fleet is mainly dependent on the minibuses and single-passenger taxi-motorcycles; with a small fleet of large buses offering public transport services to passengers mainly for long distance or inter-state journeys; Road transport and safety regulation by MoWT is still insufficient as accident levels are still very high, and claiming lives of road users mostly NMT

9 NON MOTORISED TRANSPORT (NMT) IN UGANDA NMT is of great importance in developing countries such as Uganda due to inaccessibility to motorised transport by majority of the population. Different types of NMT being used in Uganda include bicycles, carts, wheelbarrows and pedestrian transport; Pedestrian transport walking is by far the most prevalent NMT used in rural areas of Uganda; In Urban areas, Pedestrian traffic is heavy on routes leading to shopping centers/ markets, commercial areas and to the taxi and bus parks; Next to walking, bicycles are the next commonest mode of NMT in Uganda; 9

10 NMTs in Uganda contd. Bicycles have become widely available: They can utilise small tracks, Can carry loads of upto100 kg or more, and offer more rapid transport than walking Bicycles are being used commercially for carriage of passengers, especially in some urban centres like Jinja, Tororo, Kabale and Kampala; Wheelbarrows are also used for short distance carriage of small loads The use of Carts, Animal and Tractor haulage has not been so common in Uganda. There has, however, been a tradition of oxcultivation in parts of northern Uganda. 10

11 EXISTING SITUATION: KAMPALA CITY TRAFFIC CONGESTION & ABSENCE OF NMT FACILITIES

12 CHALLENGES/DEFICIENCES /CONSTRAINTS OF NMT IN IN UGANDA There are No pedestrian streets or walk-ways Most roads in Uganda are narrow and road space is shared with road side parking. Only a few roads have footways Footways are often encroached on by vendors; There are no bicycle lanes The few overhead crossings available do not seem to be popular and convenient from the pedestrian point of view; The provision of guardrails is almost absent; Road signage is generally poor 12

13 NMTs Challenges in Uganda contd. People cross from wherever it is convenient, This forces pedestrians and cyclists to move on the roads causing not only traffic congestion on the road but also endangering their safety; NMT Road users are very prone to accidents Absence of a stand-alone National policy on NMTS in Uganda It is therefore a challenge that a country where only 1% of the population own a car lacks facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. This reflects a lack of appreciation of the role played by these modes, and a general lack of equity in resource allocation. 13

14 NMT USERS DIE MOST IN ROAD ACCIDENTS IN UGANDA 1200 PERSONS KILLED BY ROAD USER CATEGORY; No. OF PERSONS KILLED Drivers Passengers Motor Cyclists Pedal Cyclists Pedestrians

15 ENCROACHED WALKWAYS BY VENDORS FORCE PADESTRIANS TO WALK IN THE ROAD AND ENDANGERING THEIR OWN SAFETY 15

16 PLANNED INTEVENTIONS FOR NMT IN UGANDA Implementation of NTMP/GKMA; GoU in 2009 developed a NTMP/GKMA, which sets out a framework for development of Uganda`s transport sector over the next 15 years; The NTMP/GKMA recognises NMT as a low cost form of transport that Uganda should develop so as to contribute to alleviating poverty in remote rural communities, by bringing farmers and others into the market economy; According to NTMP/GKMA, Facilities such as carts and tractors can be communally purchased and operated at the village level e.g. through village cooperatives; They are dependent, however, on the infrastructure of tracks and pathways being maintained in adequate condition for at least most of the year. Essential maintenance can also be organised communally at the village level. 16

17 NMTs interventions in Uganda contd. General recommendations related to NMT: The NTMP/GKMA emphasises the key role played by non-motorised forms Infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists should be included in all major works for road upgrading and strengthening The need to take care of a large no. of pedestrians in urban areas. 17

18 PLANNED INTEVENTIONS FOR NMT IN UGANDA Under TMPGKMA, Key considerations in addressing the TMP goals include: Road configuration and design standards, Traffic management, traffic flow and road safety, Traffic signal and road furniture standards, Railway crossing improvements, Pedestrian pavement and crossing facilities, The appropriate balance between different types of public transport. 18

19 NMTs in NTMP contd. Specific Recommendations under TMP/GKMA That a total length of km of Dual Carriageways will be constructed over the 15 year period, Separate pedestrian pavements would be provided, and appropriate provision would also be made for non-motorised vehicles (NMV); That a total length of km of single carriage ways will be upgraded and properly engineered to provide for Separate bays for public transport, and appropriate pedestrian and NMV facilities; Safety Improvements will be carried out at 62 junctions, 27 railway crossings, and construction of pedestrian pavements along 1,053 km of road to minimise accident risks caused by conflict between trains, motor vehicles and pedestrians at railway crossings 19

20 PLANNED INTEVENTIONS FOR NMT IN UGANDA CONTINUED Recommended GKMA Transport Investment ( ) in US$ Millions No. (0) Investment Type (1) Length / No of Sites (2) Estimated Investment cost (3) I. Roads 1. Dual Carriageway with Railway Viaduct 4.74 km Other Dual Carriageways km Single Carriageway km Total (Roads) km II. Safety improvements 1. Junction Improvements 62 locations Railway Crossings 27 locations Pedestrian Pavements and Crossings 1,053 km Total (Safety Improvements) Total (Investment Costs) Source: The NTMP /GKMA 20

21 PLANNED INTEVENTIONS FOR NMT IN UGANDA CONTINUED 1. INTRODUCTION OF BRT IN GKMA NTMP/GKMA recommended introduction of BRT in GKMA A pre-feasibility study was completed in May 2010 and procurement of design consultant is at short listing stage Findings of BRT pre-feasibility study related to NMT Kampala city has got a high pedestrian activity with limited and encroached footway width by vendors, which forces pedestrians to walk in the carriageway and endangering their lives Many People in GKMA do not afford money to pay for public transport walk to work and home in morning and evening rush hours and the average trip length for walking is 4 kms at a speed of 5 km per hour Walking will be the dominant mode of transport for people to reach the BRT stations Cycling in GKMA is not much seen in GKMA due to the unsafe traffic, hilly terrain and lack of bicycle parking facilities More than 50% of people dying in road accidents in GKMA are pedestrians 21

22 NMT SUPPORTING ACTIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE BRT IN GKMA BRT in GKMA will only be successful when motorized traffic is reduced and NMT facilities improved; NMT network to support BRT as feeder and distributor and also provide alternative safe routing to the city centre; Scarce urban transport space to be used most effectively to enhance mobility of people by providing space for pedestrians, bicycles and mass transit; The development of BRT will improve development of NMT in the following ways: i) Making Kampala a walkable city by: constructing of pedestrian footways with minimum width of 1:50m at both sides of every urban road and also pedestrian over bridges [This is being implemented on most of urban road improvement projects in Kampala] Constructing wider pedestrian pavements of minimum 2 meters wide along all BRT routes to accommodate high passenger flows to and from BRT stations; Provide BRT routes with raised zebra crossing every 400 metres 22

23 NMT SUPPORTING ACTIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE BRT IN GKMA ii) Providing Cycling Infrastructure Provide separate cycling infrastructure for private bicycles and taxi bicycles through formulation of a bicycle path master plan Provide sufficient and safe bicycle parking facilities and waiting shades for taxi bicycles at BRT stations outside the BRT trunk corridor iii) Increase road safety by traffic calming through: Provide zebra crossings on BRT corridors to have an easy access to BRT stations Redesign all junctions on the BRT corridor to reduce vehiclular speed constructing of pedestrian footways with minimum width of 1:50m at both sides of every urban road and also pedestrian over bridges Constructing wider pedestrian pavements of minimum 2 meters wide along all BRT routes to accommodate high passenger flows to and from BRT stations Provide BRT routes with raised zebra crossing every 400 metres 23

24 PLANNED INTEVENTIONS FOR NMT IN UGANDA CONTINUED 2. Road network improvement in GKMA With technical assistance from JICA, GoU has completed a study on road network improvement in GKMA including preliminary designs; According to the study, 5 major road projects have been identified for widening to dual carriageway, junction improvement and construction of fly over the next 3-5 years; Also, a road safety improvement plan for GKMA has been formulated. The above efforts are expected to contribute to development of NMT in GKMA by Providing sufficient and safe walking and cycling facilities. 3. Continued Collaboration with Promoters of NMT in Uganda GoU through MoWT has worked closely with The First African Bicycle Information Organization (FABIO) based in Eastern Uganda. 24

25 CONCLUSION GoU is updating the Transport Policy and Strategy and NMT must be recognized Although the importance of NMT may have been overlooked by Government in the past, GoU is now committed to providing better NTM facilities and promoting the use of NTM as vital tool for sustainable development;. GoU believes that non-motorized forms of transportation are more readily available to all communities and for agro-based economies like Uganda, farmers can afford to convey their produce to markets for sale, families can afford to transport the sick to health canters; Hence promoting use of NMT will go a long way in uplifting the conditions of living of the population. 25

26 Thank you very much for Listening to me 26