Faridah Nampiima the spokesperson of Traffic Police has said that their Police will start arresting those riding on the roads across the country without valid driving licenses on Thursday January 12th.
“All motorcycle riders have been given three days from today Monday to renew and carry copies of their licenses because effective Thursday, our operations are beginning” Nampiima highlighted.
Nampiima also clarified that all traffic officers in the next three days are only directed to randomly check on licenses of riders but not arrest anyone other than advising them on the right criteria to follow.
The Traffic Police mouthpiece made these remarks at the weekly security briefing held at the Police headquarters in Kampala on Monday.
Furious Nampiima also noted that they are doing all this within the law as per the amended Traffic and Road Safety Act that prohibits anyone to drive or ride on the road without a valid driving license.
According to this Act, all riders that have cycles that exceed 125cubic centimeters and power exceeding 11 kilowatts should bare an “A” class license. Riders of cycles that that don’t exceed 125cubic centimeters and power of 11 kilowatts should bare an “A1” license and finally those with motorized tri-cycles should have a “B1” license.
Nampiima further noted that this is also part of the rectification strategy on the boda-boda industry across the country which started in late 2022 with tough measures on reflector jackets and helmets.
On the issue of road crushes, Police noted that the causes are still the same as those always addressed and they called upon all road users to pay attention to them such that they can curb down the increasing numbers of road carnages.
Traffic Police in the past week arrested and issued EPS tickets to over 9,000 traffic offenders across the country an act that justifies continued indiscipline on the roads.
Amongst these, 1,518 were arrested for driving recklessly, 2008 were arrested for driving cars that are not in good condition, 852 were arrested for driving without driving licenses, 507 for over speeding and 809 for driving vehicles without third party insurance.
On the issue of recent road crushes that are affiliated to busses, Nampiima highlighted that the Directorate of Traffic and Road safety has taken a decision of reinstating the driver budges immediately.
“All bus owners are hereby instructed to submit particulars of all bus drivers to the Ministry of Works and Transport for verification. This exercise that started on January 6th will last for one week, and there after no driver will be allowed on the road without a badge” Nampiima added.
“Every bus driver will be expected to display his photo in the bus, a copy of the budge that will have his names, driving license number and driving class and the bus company he is operating as this will help traffic officers to trace the movement of buses and those drivers that switch companies after causing accidents on the road” she further highlighted.
The Traffic Police mouthpiece also cautioned bus companies that share route charts to stop it immediately or they risk tough penalties from them.
Nampiima also reechored that if found on the road in any vehicle breakdown without a triangular reflector, you would not be issued an EPS ticket but rather be arrested and prosecuted on spot.
In the first week of January 2023, Traffic Police registered a total of 340 road accidents and amongst these, 79 people lost their lives and 245 sustained serious injuries.
