Govt suspends YY Bus operations for 15 days

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The Government says it has suspended YY Bus company operations for 15 days following a series of serious road crashes linked to reckless driving.

Transport state minister Fred Byamukama made the revelation while addressing the media in Kampala on Tuesday, May 13.

“The Ministry of Works and Transport in co-ordination with Uganda Police’s directorate of traffic, have resolved to suspend YY Bus operations for 15 days following a series of serious accidents linked to reckless driving,” he said.

He explained that during the suspension, authorities will inspect driver badges and permits, review driver schedules and training history, as well as investigate the use of aged, possibly underqualified drivers.

“The buses' operations may resume after a full review,” the minister said.

YY Coaches is one of the leading bus companies in Uganda, operating in the eastern and northeastern regions.

“We rule the ruler,” it says in its bio on X, formerly Twitter.

On May 5, 2025, a bus belonging to YY Coaches overturned and caught fire in Makindu Village, Buikwe district, leaving three people dead and 30 others seriously injured.

On May 11, another YY Bus moving from Kampala city to Yumbe district crashed a few kilometres after Karuma Junction, causing multiple injuries.

On Monday (May 12), the Police urged Ugandans to be patient as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.

This was after media reports that relatives of some of the deceased were demanding the bodies of their loved ones, claiming that they were missing under mysterious circumstances.

Police spokesman Rusoke Kituuma told the weekly media conference in Kampala city that some bodies of the passengers were burnt beyond recognition and moved to Mulago Hospital pending DNA examination to ascertain identities.

According to the ministry, road traffic crashes are estimated to cost 5% of the country’s gross domestic product, which would be used to fund other much-needed public services.

It said the road safety marathon scheduled for May 31, 2025, is a collective activity aimed at raising awareness of the road safety challenges in the country and the need for every individual to act.

The 2024 Police annual crime report said although traffic-related offences declined by 19.2%, road crashes increased by 6.4%, with 5,144 fatalities recorded—a seven percent rise from 2023.

Motorcyclists and pedestrians remained the most vulnerable road users, with crashes attributed to speeding, reckless overtaking and poor road conditions.

The report underscored the urgent need for improved road infrastructure, stricter traffic enforcement and public awareness campaigns to reduce fatalities.