Deadline for mandatory vehicle inspection extended
Mar 11, 2017
A new deadline will be communicated after the construction of three inspection points
The Ministry of Works And Transport through the National Road Safety Council secretary Ronald Amanyire revealed to New Vision that the deadline for vehicle inspection has been lifted due to delayed construction of other inspection stations.
"We can't run government projects like that, the deadline for vehicle inspection was lifted since construction of Nabbingo, Namulanda and Namanve inspection points is underway" Amanyire said.
"A new deadline will be communicated later after the construction of the three inspection points and it will be made known to public" he added.
He further stressed that deadline was a miscommunication by the media and other government agencies which was later corrected.
He explained that vehicle inspections for upcountry areas like in Koboko district will be conducted by mobile inspection vans and dates will be communicated.
"It's not fair for a person to drive from Koboko, Kisoro, Moroto or Busia districts to Kawanda or Namanve for vehicle inspection. We have mobile inspection vans to conduct the exercise upcountry" Amanyire explained.
On the high inspection fee for taxi drivers (14 seater), Amanyire said a taxi has a low carriage risk compared to coaches and mini buses.
"Taxis carry few people and therefore have low risk of carriage compared to coaches and mini buses. This explains the variations in the inspection fee" he said.
Two activists; Andrew Karamagi and Robert Mugambwa, are demanding government halts vehicle inspection calling it illegal.
Andrew Karamagi (C) addresses the media as Farouk Minawa a taxi driver and Robert Mugambwa look on. Photo by Nicholas Oneal
The duo today held a press conference at Speke Hotel in Kampala to make the demand.
In March 2015, the Ministry of Works and Transport awarded SGS, a Swiss company, an exclusive contract to implement and perform roadworthiness inspections including vehicle inspection countrywide.
The exercise commenced last year in November under the Safe Drive Uganda program and a mandatory vehicle inspection services (MVIS) program for road safety with a deadline due in June this year.