Bukwo Hashim's business has benefitted from Uganda's Masaka Bukakata Road upgrade
SPECIAL FEATURE
PHOTO: Courtesy of Uganda National Road Authority
of lower-cost bicycles, for example, go a long way to reducing social inequalities. A 2021 study in the journal Scientific African examined some of the factors
SDG TARGET 11.2 “By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport Thanks to this improvement, businessmen like Hashim can transport their goods in a safer and more efficient way to and from the islands in Lake Victoria. The same story is heard all around the world: when a road is upgraded, driving times take a plunge. When a road upgrade connecting the district capital Ayni, Tajikistan with the border with Uzbekistan was completed, taxi driver Valijon Solehov explained some of the other benefits. “Before the road renovation, I had to repair my car every week, and it was expensive,” Solehov told the country’s Asia-Plus news outlet. “We could not increase the fare for passengers and we worked almost at a loss. Very few taxi drivers drove along this road at that time. Now everything is different, we save both time and money, fuel is consumed less. Fares have decreased, but we still do not lose. Everyone gains.” Besides the obvious economic impacts, reliable and modern roads reduce overall emissions from the simple measure that vehicles spend less time traveling on them. Upgraded roads also confer social benefits such as providing easier access to health and education services.
that might shift use of the boda bodas to bicycles. The study’s authors found that besides the usual factors of creating dedicated space for bicycles and emphasizing safety aspects, peer influence and gender roles in certain regions of the country also play a role in bicycle adoption. To make cycling more feasible, the authors suggest prioritizing the improvements that address the perceived risks of cycling to encourage greater adoption across the genders. In an effort to offer sustainable alternatives to driving, Bogotá, Milan and Lima are just a few of the major cities that have made commitments to increasing bike lanes as part of larger climate plans. Better roads Of course, none of these solutions would account for much without better roads to travel on. Anyone who has ridden a bike in traffic on a crumbling road can attest to the safety issues. And for anyone who moves goods from one place to another, time is money. In Uganda, traveling back and forth along a 41-kilometer gravel road from the country’s 10 th largest city of Masaka to a landing site at Lambu is a massive undertaking, one that has recently been alleviated thanks to a new paved road (see Factfile box, right). “Before its construction, we always employed tractors to move our trucks, we used boats to move our trucks,” said Ugandan businessman Bukwo Hashim. “It would take us five hours to reach (the landing site at) Lambu but now it takes us around 40 minutes from Masaka to Lambu.”
FACTFILE: UGANDA MASAKA BUKAKATA ROAD UPGRADING PROJECT
The islands of Uganda’s Kalangala district had for a long time been served by a 41-km road connecting a ferry point with the mainland and the country’s 10 th largest city. This gravel road was in poor condition and did not provide year-round service, essentially cutting off access to island residents depending on its condition. That all changed in August 2021 with the completion of a paved upgrade of the road. The OPEC Fund provided a US$15 million loan, or half of the total financing, to ensure the area is well-linked with the national road network and contributes to the economic prosperity of the country by providing a reliable connection with the islands and Lake Victoria.
systems for all, improving road
safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.”
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