Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and <br />BOX 5.1: Pedestrian overpass on a major highway in Kampala, Uganda <br />Over 40% of people killed in road traffic crashes in <br />Uganda in 2010 were pedestrians (2). Though walk- <br />ing is a dominant mode of transport in most African <br />countries, road infrastructure facilities for pedestri- <br />ans are generally inadequate or underdeveloped in <br />both urban and rural areas (3,4). <br />In an effort to address the safety of pedestrians, an <br />overpass costing approximately US$ 100 000 was <br />constructed at Nakawa Trading Centre, approximately <br />six kilometres from Kampala city centre (5). This <br />busy trading centre with many small retail shops, <br />industries, a sports stadium, offices, low-cost resi- <br />dential estates and schools is on the Kampala-Jinja <br />highway. The overpass was built in August 1998, <br />when there was a heightened sense of the impor- <br />tance of road safety because the Road Safety Act <br />had just been enacted and several crashes at the <br />location provoked public outrage. <br />An evaluation of the overpass conducted in 2002 <br />revealed the following results (5): <br />• Just over one third of pedestrians used the <br />overpass. Users were mostly female (49%) and <br />1 <br />Attachment C <br />oners <br />Attachment B <br />children (79%). The low usage of the overpass <br />reflected some of the design flaws, as well as the <br />position of the overpass, which raised security <br />concerns among users. Respondents were con- <br />cerned that the overpass was untidy, poorly lit <br />and that children loitered on it. Most pedestrians <br />found the overpass to be inconvenient and difficult <br />to access. Consequently, many pedestrians could <br />be seen crossing the road through motorized traf- <br />fic. No changes appeared to have been made to <br />the overpass by July 2012. <br />While the number of pedestrians killed dropped <br />from eight to two after it was constructed, the <br />number of pedestrians seriously injured increased <br />from 14 before construction to 17 afterwards. <br />The mixed outcomes associated with this isolated <br />intervention indicate the need for a comprehensive <br />approach to pedestrian safety. Other measures such <br />as reducing and enforcing vehicle speeds, providing <br />raised crossings, providing sidewalks and raising <br />awareness about these measures would have com- <br />plemented the overpass. <br />~h <br />,»ar <br />n <br />Page 245 <br />99 <br />