Link Bus Hits Parked Vehicle in Kyenjojo, Driver Dies on Spot

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A Link bus driver being removed from bus after the accident
A Link bus driver being removed from bus after the accident. Courtesy photo

An Isuzu Bus belonging to Link Bus Services Co. Ltd with Registration Number UAY 485E, which was traveling from Kasese to Kampala got involved in an accident after losing control and slammed into a truck loaded with logs that had stopped by the road side.

According to SP Vincent Twesige, the Rwenzori Regional Police Spokesperson, Dauda Kawawu, rammed into a stationary broken-down trailer with registration number UAV 326W, Mercedes Benz, on Tuesday evening, July 11, 2023 at around 7:45pm at Katobiire, between Rugombe and Mukunyu in Kyenjojo district, along the Kampala-Fort Portal highway.

Tumwesige said that the bus driver identified as Dauda Kawuwa, died at the scene while several other injured victims were immediately rushed to Kyenjojo Hospital for treatment.

Link Bus Services Public Relations Manager, Tom Alinde blamed the collision on the Fuso truck driver for failing to flash an alert sign even though they had parked virtually in the middle of the road.

“I believe the Fuso Truck was broken down and parked at the bottom of a hill. Nothing could have shown that there was a hazard around the bend like an alert or warning sign,” Alinde said.

Recently, there have been more accidents on roads, and majority of them are the result of trucks that are idling in the middle of the road.

This accident happened just hours after the speaker of parliament, Anita Among gave directives to the Minister of Works and Transport to work hand in hand with Police and UNRA during the plenary session, following a series of crashes in which a well-known businessman, Apollo Nyegamahe aka Aponye lost his life, and Charles Gutomoi, a Member of Parliament for Otuke North in Lira District who recently died as a result of an accident.

“We wouldn’t have all these problems if we followed the Road Act, 2019. I want to ask the Minister to follow the law, especially Section 58, and to cars that break down on the road,” Speaker Among said on Tuesday.

She gave the example of cars that break down on the road and stay there for more than six hours, making it hard for other road users and thus causing crashes.

Due to a rise in car crashes, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, asked Uganda Police Force and the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to move parked cars off the road earlier before the accident occurred.