Legal protection against marine accidents in Uganda.

Abstract

The major purpose of the study was examining the Legal Protection against Marine Accidents in Uganda.Water transport cannot be ignored. Whether carrying passengers or goods, it is an important component in the mix of transport modes in many countries, and an essential form of transport for communities – often low-income communities that live around waterways and have little access to other modes.Yet in spite of the critical importance of water transport to many communities in the developing world, and to national economies, it tends to be a highly neglected part of transport systems. It is often seen as outmoded, and is therefore poorly documented and researched, and lacks the official attention and resources it deserves. This can become a vicious circle, as a lack of awareness of its importance, its problems and its potential lead to deteriorating water transport facilities, which in turn leads to fewer users and then to even less government attention and support. Of Importance as related to the study are the Legal issues surrounding Marine Accidents specifically in Uganda where Water transport is concerned. With the revision of laws relating to Water Transportation and enactment, it’s expected that the number of Maritime casualties will reduce greatly since there has been little official attention given to water transport, and therefore standards have been very low. Common problems are overcrowding, a lack of safety as far as Marine Accidents are a concern, poor conditions at docks and for boarding and alighting, and ferry engines are often inefficient or poorly maintained which is a major cause of marine accidents in Uganda. There is a need for regulation as far as Legal protection is concerned and supports to improve all these areas.