Kampala is the political and commercial capital of Uganda. The city covers a total area of 197km². The population rises to 3.15 million people in the daytime and falls to about 1.5 million at night. Kampala, like many other cities in Africa is faced with massive population growth due to the increased movement of people from rural areas to urban areas, poor integration of the various modes of transport and inadequate provision of municipal services.

The Kampala Central Business is located mainly in the downtown area of the city which encompasses the highest population of city dwellers during daytime. There is generally low mobility with an average of 2.3 trips per person with the vulnerable population doing less trips. Due to high and unpredictable costs for public transport, the working poor are forced to walk to save 22% of their income rather than spend it on transport. In addition, statistics show that pedestrians contribute to 50% of road fatalities in Kampala. This was traced down to the lack of safe walking spaces for pedestrians who are a large proportion (approximately 42%) of the road users in the city. Approximately 47% of the road crashes were due to vehicle driver’s faults.

KCCA is mandated under the Directorate of Engineering to monitor and propose areas for improvement of city traffic, plan, design and manage public transportation in the city. One of the many proposals targeted at changing the transport system of Kampala was the pilot project for a NMT corridor on Namirambe road and Luwumu Street.

Objectives

KCCA is committed to promoting and implementing a pedestrianized zone in the city with a commitment of gradual expansion of this zone.

The NMT route is targeted to improve and stimulate travel by sustainable modes (walking and cycling) while providing safe spaces for a highly pedestrianized section of the city.

The NMT corridor will assist in providing solutions to the imbalance in access to transport opportunities for different income groups and increase inclusion of vulnerable users.

A study funded by UN Habitat was carried out by Move Mobility DV culminated in a design for the Pilot NMT corridor on Namirembe road to Luwumu Street.

Some of the key components are:

1. The route was designed to discourage through traffic from Bakuli to the Namirembe road and from Namirembe road to Luwum street.
2. The route is characterised by shopping malls and arcades with wide verandas. One of the major activities involved clearing the existing footways of clutter e.g. telecom control units, electricity poles etc. The implementation also included the reconstruction of damaged walking spaces and the construction of new and wider spaces to accommodate more pedestrians.
3. The existing road space was reclaimed to establish cycle lanes, walkways and green strips to of 4-5metres on average and the provision of shared routes for the two road user groups.
4. The project allowed for land acquisition where necessary to expand and fit within the minimum specified standards of the walkways.
5. All parking spaces along the route were replaced by cycle lanes and or flower beds to give more life and beauty to the walkway.
6. The pilot allowed for the provision of safe bicycle parking facilities to encourage more cyclists and also plan for bicycle sharing in the city as a long-term intervention on the route.
7. Provision of traffic signals at Ben Kiwanuka to provide pedestrian phasing through the heavy vehicular traffic as the road was maintained for multipurpose use.
8. Provision of speed signs along all vehicular traffic roads to ensure reduced speeds at all crossing points. This improved the safety of pedestrians at street crossings.
9. Retrofitting the corridor through beautification, greening and providing seats for public use. This aims to bring life to the street and make it a destination where people will go for leisure and not just work. This will not only improve the city’s liveability but also change the citizens views on sustainable mobility modes.
10. The NMT corridor will be lit with bright yellow streetlights that will improve night-time visibility for traders and pedestrian movement and allows night life to prosper.

The 4 billion Uganda shillings (USD 1,123,591) project is funded by the government and other partners including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat.

Integrated land use planning and transport planning has helped in managing traffic generated by the various activities within the city centre.

The pedestrianization of the two streets has helped in minimizing the dangerous mix of transport modes that were previously in operation.

NMT has also minimized pollution from the emissions and noises from vehicles.

Mixed use developments have helped in establishing proper utilization of space and buildings along the two streets. The provision of dedicated cycle lanes and walking paths have minimised accidents that occurred previously.

The non-motorized mobility push has faced considerable challenges in funding and community support since the idea was first launched in 2011. Even though up to 90% of people in the area walk, there is growing evidence that retail sales increase with more walkable and bike-able streets, and the project involved intensive stakeholder engagement. KCCA had to reassure businesses that the corridor would be beneficial. Their concerns stemmed from the impact of prolonged construction on their trading, the lack of available parking in the area and the fact that the area is prone to flooding during rainy seasons.

The implementation of this project has helped reduce road traffic injuries road traffic injuries and fatalities along the NMT corridor.

Retrofitting the street has not only enhanced the mobility of low-income earners, but also improved access to services there by boosting the economic growth of this sector.

Implementing a pedestrianised zone in the city was very successful and strengthens the vision to gradually expand this zone in the short term. The medium-term plans include improving human settlements and development of an initial integrated public transport system with bus rapid transit as the foundation.

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