The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has unveiled a new plan aimed at reducing the heavy traffic congestion that continues to affect Uganda’s capital.
According to KCCA Executive Director Sharifah Buzeki, the authority intends to introduce electric buses, expand passenger train services and develop new mass transit systems to improve movement in and around the city.
Buzeki said KCCA is already in talks with local bus companies to introduce electric buses that will operate along the city’s busiest routes. The buses are expected to provide a cleaner and more efficient public transport option for commuters.
The electric buses are part of a larger transport plan designed to reduce the number of private cars on Kampala’s roads.
KCCA is also working with the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Uganda Railways Corporation to strengthen passenger train services using the existing Meter Gauge Railway network.
Under the plan, passenger trains will operate on routes such as Mukono to Bujuuko to help reduce the number of vehicles entering the city each day.
In addition, the authority is planning to introduce a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system with dedicated bus lanes on major routes including Mukono–Kampala, Gayaza–Kampala and Kampala–Kajjansi.
There are also plans to develop a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system connecting areas such as Kira, Matugga and Nakisunga, as well as a circular rail route along the Northern and Southern Bypasses.
Traffic congestion in Kampala has worsened in recent years as the city’s population continues to grow and more vehicles are added to the roads. Uganda currently has over 1.8 million registered vehicles, with more than 60 percent operating within the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Every day, large numbers of commuters travel into the city from surrounding districts including Wakiso, Mukono and Mpigi, pushing Kampala’s daytime population to over four million people.
Transport experts warn that congestion could become even worse if major investments in public transport are not made as the metropolitan population is expected to reach nearly 10 million by 2040.
Buzeki says the long-term solution is to encourage more people to leave their private cars at home and instead use mass transport, walk or cycle.
She believes that once systems like trains, BRT and light rail are fully operational, traffic congestion in Kampala will reduce significantly.
