Soroti City Lawyer Joshua Okello has dragged the Attorney General and Soroti City Council to court for their failure to comply with the court order issued on April 04, 2023.
In April, the High Court in Soroti issued an order to Soroti City authorities to construct a roundabout or circular intersection that will enable the free flow of traffic in congested areas.
Soroti Resident Judge Justice Dr Henry Adonyo also directed the city council to suspend all loading and off-loading of passengers and goods in the public access roadways and streets to restore the public property in a manner best suited to the public interest.
The court also directed the authorities to ensure compliance with laws and orders relating to traffic safety by ensuring the suitable flow of persons and goods within the city limits.
They were equally directed to take immediate steps to implement all other trading laws including ensuring that trading activities are carried out in properly gazetted trading places and not on walkways and passages for people or alleyways and fire rescue routes.
The judge also gave an ultimatum of two years for the City authorities to gazette areas for Public Service Vehicles like buses, taxis and boda bodas’ to load and offload passengers and goods in an orderly manner.
The decisions arose from a petition filed before the court by Joshua Okello and other concerned residents in the city over poor parking, loading and off-loading by public service vehicles which have continued to congest the streets and claim lives.
The suit was triggered by the death of Solomon Elung, a broker who was knocked dead by a speeding truck registration number KBZ 232J along Lira Road. Elung, now deceased, was loading passengers in a taxi registration number UBL 882B opposite Shell Petrol Station when he was knocked dead in August 2022.
Meanwhile in his suit Arising from Miscellaneous Application No 13 of 2022, Under Section 33 of the Judicature Act Cap 13, Section 98 of CPA & O.52 Rules 1, 2&3 of CPR S.171-1, Okello wants that a declaration be made that the Respondents are in Contempt of Court Orders in his Miscellaneous Application No.13 of 2022 Okello Joshua VS Attorney General and Soroti City Council.
He said that the contempt of the Court has been with impunity, is repetitive and still continuing.
He requests the court to condemn the respondents to a fine of Ug. Shs. 300,000,000/= [Three Hundred Million Uganda Shillings] jointly and for contempt of court and compensate the applicant with Ug.Shs.500,000,000/= [Five Hundred Million Uganda Shillings Only] for the loss and suffering caused as a result of their contempt.
Soroti City Council has been struggling to control traffic flow and management of public service vehicles to designated areas in vain. The city lacks gazetted areas for parking, loading, and off-loading of passengers and goods.
credit to TNN
