Traffic and road safety act to be amended

Motorists issued with the express penalty tickets will have to pay within 72 hours from the time of issue from 30 days as drivers will be required to move along with original driving permits with the ongoing amendment for the traffic and road safety act.

Causing bodily injuries and   death as a result of reckless driving will amount to an imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years as a deterring mechanism among errand drivers on roads. However the proposed amendment has given hope for public service vehicle (PSV)

Alex  Okello  the permanent secretary ministry of works  and transport during the opening of the  consultative  workshop for the areas  of amendment  for the 1998 Traffic  and  Road Safety Act at Hotel African  said  the exercise  has been long overdue.

He said there  are areas  of concern  within the existing  traffic and road safety  regulations  that   have been  grossly abused   due to  punishments  to  offenders  that are no longer deterring  and  this has increased  accident cases on Ugandan roads.

Dr. Stephen Kasiima director traffic and road safety said of the Sh20b worth of the instant penalties issued to errant drivers   ,only Sh5b has been recovered and reducing the payment schedule from  three months to 72 hours is justifiable.

He said  the Express Penalty Scheme  that  has been  running  for  the  last fourteen years was intended  to decongest  courts  with  traffic related cases   but  have  been abused with a single car  having accumulated defaulted   tickets  worth Sh8m .

He further said the 48 hour period given to motorists to produce their original driving permits   has also been  grossly abused .

Winstone Katushabe the secretary Transport Licensing Board (TKB) said the  proposed  amendment   for the traffic and road  safety act  has  addressed  the  proposed  five year  driving permits   as per the 2016/2017 Finance Bill.

Sarah Kibwika  the Assistant  Commissioner  of police in charge of traffic operations  said incompetent  drivers  on the road  is still a major problem   and might  be among other reasons  for increased  accidents.

"Of the  650  drivers so far arrested  under the ongoing  Fika Salama  operation along the Kampala-Masaka highway, the biggest percentage are those  without driving permits and those  driving out of class," said Kibwika.