Uganda National Passengers ‘Rights Protection Association (UNAPARPA) was founded in 2008 by citizens of Uganda mainly coming from Busoga sub region. The main objective of this association is to promote and protected the rights of the passengers while travelling. The rights to be protected but not limited to right to life, right to movement, right to own property including right to justice these ri
ghts were found to be missing among the passengers thus the reason for forming this association. Background
the formation of the association stems from the suffering passengers undergo while travelling. A research was conducted by UNAPARPA in 2007 and 2008 which results were as following .it was found out that many passengers sufferer in the hands of the conductors and drivers
I. Being over charged unnecessary
III. Drivers driving recklessly
IV. Accidents caused by reckless driving
V. Victims of accidents not compensated by insurance company or own ship. Victims of accidents not well facilitated for in health units
VII. Lack of knowledge by passengers about this rights and lack of confidence. VIII. Unqualified drivers driving public vehicles without driving permits
IX. Vehicles driven by different drivers
X. Passengers changed from one vehicle to another
All the above issues and others not listed caused the suffering of passengers hence the formation of this association. Research
the research conducted by UNAPARPA revealed that over 90% of the bodaboda riders have no riders permit and over 70% of accidents victims are of result of bodaboda accidents while over 60% of accidents are of result of reckless driving .drivers are changed on the way from one driver to another . There is problem of transporting accident victims where those who help to transport victims are required to make statement at the police, there is also a problem in handling. An accident victim at health units where at time there is no enough time facilitation to handle accident victims. Proposed solutions
I. Sensitization of passengers about their rights and responsibilities controlling drivers who over speed and recklessly driving. Registering passengers as clients by taking particular of each passenger for the purposes of informing his relatives in case of accidents. III. Using mobile phones to capture. The registration number of the Moto vehicle or motorcycle in which the passengers are travelling this will help if the passenger is traveling looses luggage get accident or his luggage is stolen and many more. we will help in keeping data that can be used for further investigation. IV. Helping passengers to access first aid from health facilities in case of accident. V. Helping passengers to get their compensation in case of accident
VI. Helping passengers in case he/she has less money to travel home. VII. Collaborate with government agencies to protect his or her right i.e. police local government and central government and others. Using law terms to peruse issues that require law to handler. IX. Establish help line which is free in case of report of accident. X. Allocation of transport to hard to reach areas. XI. Volunteers to work with police and traffic officers. Current statistics
the current statistics by monitor news paper reveals that over 20000 people die of accidents in Uganda every year and that the highest cause of accident is of bodaboda riders. There is no gazetted places for training drivers more so of public vehicles. public transport is very essential in that almost everybody uses it and yet we put very little attention to it and as result the country looses energetic people who would develop the country ,we lose engineers , teachers, doctors and other professionals hence the need to put right. Advocacy issues
I. we are advocate for establishment of well gazetted training schools for drivers who drive public vehicles
II. that registration number s of public vehicles be displayed inside the vehicle to enable passengers access them easily
III. That drivers of public vehicle be identified (have budges) and there conductors, the stage managers and their aids wear budges bearing their names so that passengers can defecate them from others. Those prices charged for different places are displayed inside the vehicles to avoid unnecessary over changing. That parking in taxi parks should be regulated to enable passengers move freely in the taxi parks, at times vehicles tightly packed and you cannot move freely as a passenger hence the to regulate it. Government should allow private companies, individual to construct rehabilitate and maintain roads using government agencies (engineers) as this will help improve roads in the country. New system
We have established a system to send massages to our website for purposes of monitoring the passengers while travelling. The system is:-start –pass- name- vehicle/motorcycle registration number -boarding point -destination and send to 6789.this massage shall be stored up to any time you need the information. Secondly we shall register passengers as clients; we shall have their full particulars plus that of their spouses and children under 18years of age. This shall help us to inform their people in case of accidents and also get support from us for first aid. They will pay subscription fee with in Uganda is 50,000/= for a year and 100,000/= beyond Uganda for a year. Current activities
Current activities include the following:
I. Sensitization of passengers/drivers and their conductors
II. Engaging leader in issues that affect passengers i.e. bad roads
III. Monitoring of roads through friend of the road Uganda project for friendly to roads this has been done in partnership with Uganda alternative NGO faring funded by crossroad challenge fund the project was done in Mayuge and Bugiri district between 2013/2014. Opening up new offices to promote and protect passengers’ rights. Maintaining new structures for the promotion and protection of passengers’ rights. Organizing fundraising programs to increase resources to improve the services. Holding radio programs for sensitization of passengers and campaigns though churches, mosques. Hold periodical board meetings
IX. Have stake holders meeting to discuss advocacy issues. Achievements
I. The organization is well established and registered with the registrar of companies under Cap110 Company limited by grantee in2008. Has established partnership with all NGO like Uganda national NGO form:-Bugiri local government Mayage district local government. Established operational offices in Bugiri town council Iganga municipality and in Kampala Najjanankubi Entebbe road. Recruited more than one thousand volunteers and some technical staff. Established internet website on which we receive massages sent to us by passengers. Establishing linkages with local authorizes in Kampala. Some office equipments like computers and furniture. After the explanation for the formation of the association it has been considered that same activities be implemented in a strategic work plan which is considered to cause change in the current situation and reduce accidents from 20,000 people who die every year to around 15,000 which is 5% reduction. It is also estimated to reduce accidents caused by reckless driving from 60% to around 30%. Especially where passengers shall work in collaboration with traffic officers we shall request the traffic officer to collaborate with us to fight the cause when passengers use mobile phone to write massages to report reckless drivers this will imply that almost in every passenger’s vehicle there will be a responsible passenger who shall report cases of indiscipline including reckless driving. If the traffic officers cooperate in this struggle we shall achieve our target of reducing accidents.
