HOVITA Launches Report on Safe School Zones
HOVITA conducted a review of best global practices concerning policy formulation, the implementation of safe school zones, and the reduction in the impact of road crashes on school-going children. The review findings included recommendations for the establishment of safe school zones and are being used for advocacy efforts targeting concerned authorities and stakeholders in the campaign to develop a policy framework that guides the establishment of school zones. HOVITA also drew lessons, results, and experiences learned from the “Scaling up Safer School Zone Advocacy Project in Uganda,” implemented in Gulu City from 2021 to 2022 under the GRSP (Global Road Safety Partnership) to further support the establishment and implementation of safe school zone areas. This was achieved through a workshop and information sharing. The team shared the best global practices concerning policy formulation and the implementation of safe school zones with various authorities and road agencies responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of urban roads and streets, where schools are commonly located.
The global successes in implementing safe school zones were shared to make the relevant authorities, policymakers, and road agencies learn from others, appreciate the efforts, and gain support. The agencies engaged included the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Local Government, urban authorities, Ministry of Education, Parliament, Uganda Police, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development. During the report launch, there was a moderated panel session of experts who discussed the report findings. Media, both traditional and new media, were used to cover the report launch and dissemination, raise awareness, mobilize support, and influence policymakers due to their wider reach.
Fred Byamukama, the Minister of State for Transport, officiated at the launch of the global review report on safe school zones by HOVITA. He expressed gratitude to HOVITA for their efforts in addressing road safety issues in Uganda, where over 80% of road crashes are due to human factors. Thousands of children walk to school without guardians, making them among the most vulnerable to road crashes. Rural school road safety is a significant concern for many communities, and assessing risks and hazards around the school environment and routes must be a high priority. Speeding vehicles are the most dangerous risk factor in road safety, with every one percent reduction in speed reducing road crashes by 4%. Speed has led to many fatalities, including school-going children. HOVITA, along with other CSOs (Civil Society Organizations), has advocated for a 30km/h speed limit in safe school zones and built-up areas. Byamukama urged the technical team to track the review of the road safety Act, as safe speed will protect the most vulnerable road users. In a recent incident, a taxi driver drove at a terrible speed, knocking several children. The Ministry of Works and Transport is working together to improve road safety in Uganda, as the number of children dying is high.
At the same report launch, HOVITA’s Executive Director, Mr. Sam Bambanza, said that the report is part of our 18-month project aimed at reducing road fatalities and injuries among children and young people. Our country is losing a significant number of children and young people aged 5 – 34 years every day. He thanked our donors, GRSP and GHAI, in addition to the technical team at the MoWT for their unwavering support to HOVITA regarding road safety advocacy. The UPF Crime and Road Safety Annual reports for the years 2022, 2021, and 2020 show a rising trend of children and youth dying on our roads each day. To give you the proper context of road tragedy, aside from the children below the age of 18, we are also losing a substantial number of young people aged 18 – 24. Last year alone, 703 people in this age bracket lost their lives, while 657 died in 2021. This shows the impact of road crashes on our families, society, and economy, becoming very costly. As parents, we go through many hurdles to raise and educate our children. The project aims to reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries among school children and young people aged between 5 and 30 years in Uganda with a focus on raising awareness of risk factors, speed management, and the implementation of safe school zones. He continued by thanking the minister for his exemplary leadership and tireless support for road safety actions in Uganda.
HOVITA’s Call
Our call:
1. To the Government of Uganda (GoU), support our campaign advocating for the formulation of policies, guidelines, and regulations targeting the establishment and implementation of Safe School Zone areas in Uganda by 2024.
2. To the GoU, support our efforts in disseminating the formulated policies, guidelines, and regulations to all stakeholders involved in their implementation by 2024.
We believe that through advocating for the implementation of safe school zones and influencing road user behavioral changes among drivers, we can create safer roads for our children and community members at large.