Rising traffic congestion is an inescapable condition in large and growing metropolitan areas

especially those of those living in large metro cities like Mumbai, Los Angeles, Delhi or even
Kampala. But it is a problem and like all other problems, there is a solution. Whether the reason
for over whelming traffic in a city is physical, economic or socio-political, one needs to engineer
a solution that can efficiently tackle traffic in a city. Peak-hour traffic congestion is an inherent
result of the way modern societies operate. It stems from the widespread desires of people to pursue
certain goals that inevitably overload existing roads and transit systems every day. But everyone
hates traffic congestion, and it keeps getting worse, in spite of attempted remedies. Commuters are
often frustrated by policymakers’ inability to do anything about the problem, which poses a
significant public policy challenge. Although governments may never be able to eliminate road
congestion, there are several ways cities and states can move to curb it.

The vast majority of people seeking to move during rush hours in America use private automotive
vehicles, for two reasons. One is that most Americans reside in low-density areas that public transit
cannot efficiently serve. The second is that privately-owned vehicles are more comfortable, faster,
more private, more convenient in trip timing, and more flexible for doing multiple tasks on one
trip an almost any form of public transit. As household incomes rise around the world, more and
more people shift from slower, less expensive modes of movement to privately owned cars and
truck. (Downs, 2004)

Africa and national level

As the African continent rapidly urbanizes, cities are swelling into megacities and a new problem
is rearing its ugly head: traffic. U.N. Habitat, the U.N. agency for human settlements, says
urbanization rates reached 40 percent in Africa in 2010, and are projected to reach 60 percent in
2050.

Johannesburg taxi driver Abner Mamabolo knows this all too well. In the three years that he’s
been driving around the Sandton business district in the heart of Africa’s economic hub, he’s
seen the effect of this growth and rising prosperity. “The traffic was increasing in the last few
years,” he told VOA News as he downshifted to a stop in the middle of Sandton traffic. “It looks
like we’ve got more cars, people are buying more cars. “He says it often takes him an hour to get
from home to Sandton, a distance of just 15 kilometres.

The bigger picture is Planning problems: transport experts say reducing road access will not
solve Africa's traffic problems. Urban planner Amanda Ngabirano says many African cities, like
her hometown of Kampala, Uganda, were poorly planned. “The main challenge we have in
Kampala is poor and inefficient public transport,” she told VOA. “And we also don’t have
facilities for walking, for cycling. We don’t have an integrated system of mobility.” That’s
because when African cities began to grow, they looked not toward Europe’s transit-friendly
street plans, but towards America’s suburban, car-friendly sprawl. That, says Sunny Kodukula,
the global coordinator for EcoMobility, is something that could take decades to undo. In the
meantime, he says, public transport options need a makeover, too. For decades, prosperity in
African cities has meant escaping from taxi-vans and motorbikes to getting your own car.
“Public transport does not have the image it should have for people to shift from cars to public
transport,” he said. “People in African cities think public transport is poor, or not attractive
enough for them to shift. And there comes the status symbol.”
Region level

Traders in Mukono town along the Kampala - Jinja highway have decried the heavy traffic that,
they say, has slowed business activity along the town’s major business street.

With the recent upgrade of the major feeder roads such as the Bugerere road, Katosi road and the
Namugongo – Seeta road within Mukono, traffic quickly piles up on the highway, bringing
business along the road to a standstill. George Fred Kagimu, the Mukono town mayor, said the
route is overwhelmed with traffic from all the newly-upgraded feeder roads into the narrow
highway, which calls for decongestion. “We want to create bypasses outside the town to
decongest the city centre. We have written to Unra (Uganda National Roads Authority) to
upgrade those roads to provide alternative routes to motorists,” said Kagimu. He was speaking to
The Observer at his offices in Mukono municipal offices. He added that with the upcoming
Namanve industrial park, it is anticipated that the heavy traffic will only worsen. Unra’s Chris
Manyindo, who confirmed receipt of the letter, said that Unra is currently faced with budget
limitations. “Mukono is one of our priority areas and it is under consideration but for now, we
don’t have a budget for it,” said Manyindo. According to Kagimu, only 25km of the entire road
network in Mukono has been upgraded to bitumen.