By Denish Ongora (denis.ongora@vol.co.ug)
Lira City
Women activists in Lira city have immensely opposed the ban imposed on women from occupying front seats of trucks.
The ban came in the wake of road carnage involving a truck in Agali Sub County, Lira district which claimed nine lives and injured 19 people on the 10th January 2022.
The leadership of the association of drivers and the mobile market vendors argued that women who sit in front of these trucks cause drivers to lose concentration hence causing accidents.
However women activists reasoned that the idea was not well thought as there is no cogent proof that women who occupy the front seats of trucks are responsible for causing road accidents.
Jenifer Alwoch who is one of the activists said women occupy the front seats due to factors such as when they have a toddler, have health complications, unable to climb behind the vehicle or they just wish to sit in front because of convenience.
Alwoc said the idea is a total abuse of the rights of women, because like other humans, women too have the right to occupy whichever seat they wish.
Awor Sarah Angweri who is also an activist and the female workers representative advised that the police, the leadership of drivers and vendors to thoroughly investigate and find out the major cause of road accidents instead of blaming it on women who occupy the front seat.
