Why connected cycling routes matter in Kampala
A Safe Cycling Route Is More Than a Painted Lane
When I cycle across Kampala, I notice that the difficult part is rarely one dramatic section of road. It is the short gaps between ordinary places: leaving a residential street, crossing a busy junction, passing a market, reaching a taxi stage, or finding a safe way around a parked vehicle. A route can look reasonable on a map and still feel unsafe in daily use.
The whole journey matters For cycling to work for more people, the network has to connect homes with workplaces, schools, clinics, markets, and public transport. A painted lane that ends before a junction may be useful for a photograph, but it does not solve the most stressful part of the trip. Neither does a path that requires people to cross fast traffic without a clear design.
Small details, real consequences Drainage covers, street lighting, traffic speed, loading spaces, pedestrian crossings, and the condition of road edges all affect whether someone can cycle comfortably. These details matter especially for people carrying goods, travelling with children, wearing work clothes, or using a bicycle because other transport is too expensive that day. Safety is not only about preventing crashes. It is also about reducing the daily uncertainty that makes a route feel impossible.
I would like to see cycling plans assessed by complete journeys rather than by kilometres constructed. Who can reach a market safely? Can a student connect to a taxi stage? Can a clinic worker cycle home after an evening shift? Local residents already know many of the dangerous gaps. Their observations should be recorded alongside traffic counts and engineering assessments, not treated as informal complaints.
Good transport planning does not need to begin with an expensive, perfect network. It can begin by fixing the connections people use most, then measuring whether those changes make the journey safer and more practical. The useful question is not simply, “Where can we put a cycle lane?” It is, “What would make this entire trip work?”