Onduparaka Traders Cry Foul Over Dust as Heavy Trucks Heading to DR Congo Take Toll on Businesses

By Osmara Digital Media

ARUA CITY-UGANDA: Residents and traders in Onduparaka, a busy commercial area on the outskirts of Arua City, are calling for urgent action to address excessive dust generated by heavy trucks using the area as a major transit route to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The traders say the problem has become particularly severe during dry weather, when large trucks pass through the unpaved road in significant numbers, sending clouds of dust into shops, food stalls and businesses located along the route.

Onduparaka is an important trading centre in Arua and lies along routes connecting the region to neighbouring areas and cross-border markets.

Government documents recognise Onduparaka as a trading centre, while recent government road reports have also listed the Onduparaka–Andelizua road among roads targeted for works.

However, residents say the continued use of the short but commercially important route by heavy trucks has created a daily challenge for people whose businesses depend on the road.

According to traders, dust settles on food products, merchandise and shop premises, forcing them to repeatedly clean their businesses and, in some cases, cover their goods to protect them from contamination.

Food vendors and small-scale retailers are among those most affected. They say keeping food exposed near the roadside has become increasingly difficult because passing trucks can generate thick clouds of dust within seconds. “We clean our shops and arrange our goods, but when a truck passes, everything is covered with dust again,” one trader said, describing the situation as a growing burden for businesses along the road.

Residents also complain that the problem goes beyond businesses, saying pedestrians, boda boda riders and people living near the road are exposed to dust throughout the day.

The heavy trucks are mainly associated with the movement of goods between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, making the route commercially significant for the wider West Nile economy. Arua's location near the DRC border has long made cross-border trade an important part of the local economy.

Residents propose alternative truck route Rather than stopping the movement of goods, residents are asking Arua City authorities and other responsible agencies to consider measures that would reduce the impact of heavy trucks on the trading centre.

One proposal is to divert some of the trucks along a route closer to the border, beginning from the Vurra Customs area, where residents believe heavy commercial traffic could move without passing directly through the busy trading sections of Onduparaka.

Others are calling for trucks to be restricted to travelling through Onduparaka during night hours, when there are fewer pedestrians, roadside vendors and open food businesses.

Residents say such measures could provide temporary relief while waiting for the road to be upgraded or tarmacked.

They argue that the road's importance to regional trade should be matched with investment in infrastructure capable of handling the increasing volume of heavy commercial traffic.

Traders want a permanent solution For business owners, however, rerouting trucks would only provide temporary relief. They want the responsible authorities to prioritise the upgrading and tarmacking of the road, saying a permanent solution would benefit both traders and transporters.

They also want authorities to consider regular watering of the road during dry periods as an immediate dust-control measure while longer-term road works are pursued.

The traders say they are not opposed to cross-border commerce or the movement of trucks to the DRC. Instead, they want the economic benefits of the trade to be balanced with the wellbeing of communities located along the transport corridor.

As Onduparaka continues to grow as a commercial centre, residents say the dust problem is becoming a reminder that infrastructure must keep pace with the region's expanding trade.

For now, every passing truck leaves behind more than goods destined for the DRC—it also leaves a cloud of dust that traders say is settling on their businesses, food and livelihoods.