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Police on Friday announced the launch of Operation Fika Salama Extra.

The Force said they had added a component of taking biometrics to have a profile of drivers who will be driving motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol.

Police announced that Fika Salama Extra checkpoints along all major highways will be re-activated from August 2023 to January 2024.

Micheal Kananura the Traffic and Safety Directorate Spokesperson said Fika Salama Extra Operations will also look at other offences which include careless overtaking, driving without a valid driver's license, driving out of class, carrying excess passengers, dangerous loading, driving a motor vehicle in a dangerous mechanical condition among others.

“We have committed teams to do these operations with enough equipment which are well calibrated,” he added.

Kananura said the operations would be done by the Police in partnership with the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Health, and the Uganda National Roads Authority and that the campaign is a special intervention to reduce road crashes in Uganda.

“According to the global status report on road safety 2018, 1.35 million people died, and 50 million sustained injuries globally. Developing economies record higher rates of traffic injuries with 93% of all fatalities coming from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

In Uganda, we lose 12 people daily on average in traffic road crashes. It is against this background that the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety in partnership with other stakeholders has launched operation Fika Salama Extra,” Kananura added.

He said Fika Salama Extra is emphasizing and putting more effort into what has been ongoing and that is enforcement, road safety education, and engagement with other stakeholders.

He said they would among others enforce speed limit noting that this is a major risk factor and is among the leading causes of road crashes.

"An increase in speed reduces your reaction time, breaking distance and stopping distance. The speed at which a vehicle travels directly influences the risk of a crash as well as the severity of injuries and the likelihood of death. Therefore, enforcement is critical for achieving safe use of roads and compliance with speed limits,” Kakanura added.

He also said every person who drives a motor vehicle of any class or description on the road at a speed greater than the prescribed maximum speed limit in respect of that road commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding sh2m or imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or both. 

“At the discretion of the overall commander, the offender can be issued with an express penalty of sh200,000.”| Kakanura added.

He said traffic Police will conduct snap checks along dark spots on major highways depending on intelligence.

“We shall also use CCTV cameras to monitor and capture offenders. This information will be passed on to the officers at the Fika Salama Extra Check Points. Habitual offenders will be taken to court for prosecution.  Drivers of public service motor vehicles who will violate this law will also be taken to court. Drivers that will fail to comply at the checkpoints will be blacklisted, tracked and motor vehicles will be impounded,” he noted.

He revealed that 281 drivers were captured by CCTV Cameras for violating the speed limit along Kampala- Entebbe Express in an operation conducted for 13 hours.

He also said they would be checking for drivers who will be driving with blood alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit contrary to section 111 of the Traffic and Road Safety Amendment Act 2020.

“Drink driving is a risk factor and it has been identified as a major cause of death not only in Uganda but worldwide, alcohol impairs both the driver's vision and decision making and this puts all road users at high risk of injury or death. The Traffic Directorate has identified high-risk roads where most accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol occur and these are; Ggaba Road, Jinja Road, Kiira Rd, Entebbe Road, Kampala -Entebbe Express Way, Northern Bypass, and some streets in Central Business District (CBD). We have therefore decided to intensify operations targeting drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol,” he said.

Kananura quoted Section 111 of the Traffic and Road Safety Amendment Act 2020 which provides for the offence of driving with blood alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit.

The Traffic and Road Safety (Prohibited Drugs and Alcohol Limit)  Regulations 2023 provides for both prescribed blood alcohol levels and prescribed breath alcohol levels;

“Regulation 3 provides that the prescribed blood alcohol level of a driver of a vehicle other than a public service vehicle or ambulance is 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood while that of a driver of a public service vehicle or ambulance is 20 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood,” he said.

He further said, “Regulation 4 provides that the prescribed breath alcohol level for a driver of a vehicle other than a PSV or ambulance is 25 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood while that of a driver of a PSV or ambulance is 10 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath.”

He noted that Section 111 (1) of the Traffic and Road Safety Amendment Act 2020 provides that a person who contravenes this law is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding sh6m or imprisonment not exceeding three years or Both. 

“At the discretion of the overall commander, the offender can be issued with an express penalty scheme of sh200,000,” Kananura stated.

He revealed that last Friday, Police arrested 38 drivers who were found to be driving under the influence of alcohol from the operations carried out along  Ggaba and Jinja Road.

“We are therefore extending these operations to cover the entire Kampala Metropolitan Area, other cities, and some highways that have been identified,” he stated

He also said the Fika Salama Extra shall also focus on the joint sensation on road safety to improve and promote road user behaviors or discipline through the following means;

“We shall continue to use media like TV stations, Radio stations, and newspapers to reach out to road users. Conduct physical engagements from Bus terminals, taxi parks, markets, schools, churches, mosques, bodaboda stages among others. Social media platforms to circulate road safety messages and road safety brochures, stickers, flyers and banners with road safety messages in different languages will be distributed at Fika Salama Extra checkpoints,” he said.

He said in August, they had so far covered a total number of 20 TV Shows, 89 Radio Shows, and 247 Physical Engagements on Road safety sensitizations across the country targeting all road users with emphasis on primary school-going children aimed at creating road safety awareness.

He urged the public to report traffic violations on their toll-free number 0800199099.