An investigation into the impact of roadside businesses on the traffic flow in Kampala city : a case study of Katwe road.
Abstract
KatwehasbeenaslumrightfromwhenhumanhabitationstartedtoappearalongtheKampalaKaseserailwaytracksintheearly20thcenturyandhascontinuouslyattractedyoungmenand
women,withlittleeducationandpracticalskills,whoingeniouslyimproviseand‘manufacture’
imitationsoforiginalelectronicappliancesandautomobilespareparts,looselycalledMagezi
gaBaganda(Wisdom oftheBaganda).Famedforbeingthecentreofcreativity,non-residential
useslikecommercial,institutionaletchavegraduallyinvadedtheareaturningitintooneofthe
mostsoughtafterfast-growingbusinesscentresinKampalaCitytoday.Katwe’sstrategic
locationaladvantage,economicactivitiesandimprovementintransportrouteshaveledtoan
increaseintheintensityofnewinformalactivitiesintheareaduetothehighdemandfornew
spacestoaccommodatethemandthishasresultedintoaninfluxofvariousmodesoftransport
anditsassociatednegativeslikecongestion,pollution,accidentsandcreationofunpleasant
environsespeciallyalongKatweRoad.Thehigherthelevelofroadsidebusinesses,thelower
thetransportationperformanceoftheroad,hence,thisstudydelvesdeepandinvestigatesthe
impactsoftheseroadsidebusinessesontheflowoftrafficalongKatweRoad.