By Ambrose Gahene,
Motor Vehicle drivers across the country have been called upon to exhibit high professional ethics to reduce road accidents in the country. The call was made by various speakers during the Uganda Professional Drivers Network (UPDN) Conference at Kampala Imperial Royale Hotel on Tuesday.
Francis Kisirinya, a representative from Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSF-U) told drivers to continuously look out for knowledge to be good drivers.
“Road carnage and rage due to over speeding is a challenge in Uganda today”, he said.
He added that; employers should give drivers work contracts and pay them handsomely to motivate drivers to perform their duties with diligence and care. He called on drivers to observe work ethics and respect their employers to avoid intrigue and indiscipline in work places.
Tayebwa Moses, a professional Driving School Proprietor and Keynote speaker at the conference, labored to teach drivers on the importance of observing road usage and traffic laws. He cautioned drivers against fatigue, consumption of alcohol and drugs, the none adherence to wearing safety belts and over speeding among others.
“The faster you drive the higher chances of crashing your vehicle on a stationary object or another vehicle and the ultimate end is death”, he said.
He cautioned drivers on distractions during driving, such as use of phones, eating or chatting with passengers, saying these results in a driver losing focus on driving and ends up causing a fatal accident.
During panel discussions, participants observed that; there are four pillars that govern motor transport fleet business. These include; driver, vehicle, journey and health or environment management.
Under driver management, panelists zeroed on the need to have qualified drivers on the road. They also observed that a vehicle is a driver’s office and should be serviced all the time.
“Under journey management, drivers should not be overstressed by their employers because they want to make more money by making many trips”, said one panelist. They also advised public service and transport vehicle owners to monitor drivers by using Global Positioning Indicators (GPS) to ensure the safety of their vehicles and passengers.
