Use railway as quick fix to truck drivers’ menace

Uganda Railways rail wagon loaded with 24 trucks on arrival at Kampala railway station from Mombasa last year. 

In Summary

• The issue: Imported Covid-19
• Our view: The railway alone can keep out at least 1,500 high risk truck drivers from entering and blending with population, saving thousands from coming into contact with them.

By EDITOR

The government has done a commendable job to check the spread of Covid-19 in the country but the

issue of transnational truck drivers has continued to stick out like a ripe boil.

It threatens to overrun the gains made. The number of truck drivers that have tested positive for Covid-19 has seen the country’s cumulative total shoot to 79. So far, 23 truck drivers have tested positive for the virus.

Of these, one Tanzanian was officially repatriated, 13 exited Uganda on their own back to Kenya and Tanzania, and the rest are still in hospital. The Health ministry has exhibited good commitment to protect lives of citizens.

Locals have also made great sacrifices to keep locked in their homes but lack of effective regulations to check transnational truck drivers has seen the deadly disease reach citizens at their doorsteps.

The need to keep the supply chain open, especially for goods that have to pass through neighbouring countries, has caused a big challenge and dilemma to the government.

Ultimately, several ideas have floated in the public milieu with everyone anxious to see the end of this virus. There are not many solutions seeing as the idea of turning over trucks to Ugandan drivers at the border has been met with protests.

However, the much maligned railway transport definitely offers a viable temporary fix. A cargo train has capacity to carry up to 450,000 tonnes of goods. The railway infrastructure – though the Transport ministry says there aren’t enough engines.

The country doesn’t need ‘enough’ but a temporary fix. The railway alone, when used optimally, can get off the road up to 1,500 trucks worth of cargo.

This would mean keeping out at least one thousand five hundred high risk truck drivers from entering and blending with population and saving thousands from coming into contact with them and, possibly, the dreaded virus.

This could be one of the few instances when a band aid decision is too significant to ignore given that the virus will not be here much longer as all signs in the worst affected states in Europe and Americas is that it is waning.

Added to the railway is the water transport, though much slower, with capacity to carry up to 150 tonnes of cargo each month. Stimulating these options to continue operating can greatly reduce the number of people the country puts at risk with each truck driver that enters.

The government should speed up the processes of revamping these water and railway transport as a safer and more cost-effective means for cargo transport.

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