Three weeks after heavy rains washed away a bridge on Hoima-Masindi road disrupting traffic, another bridge has given way after it was submerged in water.
First to break down was Musoma Bridge in Bwijanga sub county about five kilometers from the Hoima-Masindi border. The Kakura Bridge located a few meters away from Kisalizi market at the Hoima –Masindi border also broke down last week, further comlicating the problem for road users.
By press time some passengers were stranded after their vehicles from Hoima broke down at Kakura Bridge due to the bad road. Some drivers who labored to cross the river to Masindi and back complained that they were about to lay down their tools as the water is spoiling their engines.
Ahmed Mugisa, a taxi driver on the Hoima-Masindi road says he is about to give up the job as he is operating on losses. Mugisa says vehicles have to divert to Kinyara-Kabango route which is fuel consuming and tedious.
According to Mugisa, the 56 kilometer road that usually takes one hour is now taking three hours and beyond due to the bad road.
His vehicles used to consume fuel worth 60,000 shillings but now it takes operators 90,000 shillings for the same route. As a result transport fares have been hiked from 5,000 to10,000 shillings.
Margaret Musinguzi who frequently travels from Masindi to Hoima on Thursday called on government to urgently fix the problem to rid them of transport hurdles as she crossed the flooded Musoma Bridge.
//Cue in “we came…..”
Cue out “20000……”//
Julius Tumusiime, a farmer from Murro village says he has failed to market his beans for fear of the huge transport costs to Kisalizi market due to the poor road.
Meanwhile a group of youths are reaping big as they help residents to cross the flooded rivers.
They are charging 500 to carry a person across the submerged bridges. Angel Epeewa says he has made 120,000 from the business since the first bridge collapsed three weeks ago. He has used the money to buy two mobile phones.
//Cue in “when……”
Cue out “this water….”//
Engineer Jonathan Wazimbe of the Uganda National Roads Authority Hoima area says works on the road have been halted due to heavy rains. He says work is expected to resume soon as the rains reduce.
