Several drivers arrested in Bushenyi over flouting traffic rules

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Police on May 5, 2026, said they had arrested several motorists during a series of operations in Bushenyi district targeting cars flouting traffic rules.

Traffic and Safety Directorate spokesperson Michael Kananura said the arrested drivers would be arraigned in court.

“Intensified operations have been conducted in Bushenyi district, where several drivers were arrested for carrying excess passengers and transporting some in a manner that compromises safe driving. Others were also found seated in vehicle boots and were apprehended for accepting to be carried in such dangerous positions. They will be arraigned in court at the appropriate time,” Kananura said.

Kananura said, “let us all be mindful of our actions on the road; good decisions save lives, while bad ones cost lives.”

The operations come in the wake of a warning on April 9, 2026, by the police banning saloon car drivers from carrying excess passengers in front. In a notice, the Police banned drivers from carrying passengers in a manner that interferes with safe driving.

(Courtesy)

Police warned that those got will not pay fines but will be arrested, detained and taken to court.

This follows what Kananura said was a practice by some drivers of saloon cars of carrying excess passengers, especially in the front seats, in a manner that interferes with the driver. He said this is a serious traffic violation and this behaviour compromises safe driving and greatly increases the risk of road crashes, which can lead to loss of lives.

“Drivers are hereby directed to immediately stop carrying passengers in a manner that interferes with safe driving. There will be no on-the-spot penalties. Offenders will be arrested, detained and taken to court,” Kananura said.

He appealed to the passengers to act responsibly. “Do not board overloaded vehicles or those operating in violation of safety regulations, even in the interest of saving time or money,” he added.

Kananura said they had since arrested several drivers and that they were currently in police custody pending court proceedings.

“However, enforcement alone is not enough. We have observed that some drivers deliberately avoid checkpoints and police deployments by using alternative routes. In some cases, passengers knowingly cooperate by disembarking before checkpoints and rejoining the vehicles afterwards, allowing the violation to continue,” he observed.

He said police remain fully committed to protecting lives on the road through continuous and routine enforcement, and they hope to eliminate all dangerous practices that put road users at risk.

Kananura said road safety is everyone’s responsibility.

The practice is common, especially in Western Uganda and the Bunyoro region, where saloon cars are used as taxis.

According to the Annual Police Crime Report released last week, Police registered a total of 322,441 cases in 2025 compared to 426,432 in 2024, which marked a 24.4% decrease.

The Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety registered a total of 26,044 crashes, out of which 4,602 were fatal, 13,563 were serious, and 7,879 were minor. Road traffic crashes increased in 2025 as compared to 2024 by 3.7%.

The number of serious crashes increased by 3.3%, from 13,134 in 2024 to 13,563 in 2025; fatal crashes increased by 3.8%, from 4,434 in 2024 to 4,602 in 2025, and minor crashes increased by 4.5%, from 7,539 in 2024 to 7,879 in 2025.