I will state at the onset that I’m not a huge fan of widening roads as an avenue to deal with road congestion because of a number of reasons as I am going tell you in a moment, but also because Our Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us: “…Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction…” – Matthew 7:13. Wide roads can very easily be the destruction of everything that a lively city is meant to be.

That said, and without contradiction, the time has come for the roads in Kampala city to be widened; and this is already being done. I am only suggesting a different WHY and HOW. My assertion is that this should be done only so as to provide space for other road users like; Bicycles, Pedestrians and more space efficient modes like Public transportation (Bus-lanes). The current strategy of increasing road width so as to reduce traffic congestion is not any different from loosening your belt to fight obesity. In fact, increasing road space by having wider lanes doesn’t reduce congestion. It creates the exact opposite; it leads to induced demand where more road space attracts more vehicular traffic. There is plenty of research that has been undertaken to prove this.

I suggest that we should widen our roads to; accommodate a bike-lane or even lane of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), not just some pretty looking fly-overs (some people find them that attractive!) which only add aesthetic value but actually cause more problems than they solve. After all, in Kampala and many cities in developing countries, there are fewer people using private cars than those who use public transportation. The state of public transportation is an issue of its own that we shall discuss on another day.

If we can apply democratic principles where the majority decision takes precedence over the minority, then it logically follows that more road space is allocated to the group of road users in the majority. In the city of Kampala, this majority are the pedestrians and users of public transport which translates into wider walkways and other things like; dedicated bus-lanes, a city-wide train network, and such like.

Of course, the reality on the roads in Kampala is the stuff that nightmares made of! I’m not being dramatic here, just ask a pedestrian.

The interventions underway to address the challenges in the transportation system seem to diagnose the notorious traffic jams as the only problem. As such, the remedies are still in the realm of “widening the roadway” so that cars can have space to move smoothly. Never mind that this is at the cost of the lives of those to whom the city is apparently being done. You see, wider roads mean faster cars and inevitably more causalities and fatalities because speed kills is not just a tag line, it is a reality.

I am inclined to think that our roads are congested partly because they are narrow but majorly because most are designed to only accommodate motor vehicles and thus we are restricted in terms of travel options. Riding a bicycle on most of these roads especially those leading into the city is like signing your own death certificate, as a result many would-be cyclists don’t even try – save for the brave ones! Then walking along them…Ahem!!! If Police reports are anything to go by, pedestrians account for the highest number of fatalities and injuries among the road traffic accidents.

Suggestion: It is quite clear that roads are going to be widened anyway; however as we go about this, let us adopt an approach whose goal is to transport people and shift from the status-quo whose priority is moving motor-vehicles at all costs – even the cost of the very people it is meant to serve. The former is a people-centre approach which thrives on and promotes variety so that there is spatial accommodation for all (Boona Batambule if you like): the private car owner, the cyclist, the full-time and part-time pedestrian, and the public transit commuter like the guy who has written this.