Driving permits to be issued by mobile units

Driving permits should now be delivered to your offices and to your door step, according to Winston Katushabe, the commissioner transport regulations safety, road, air and railway.

"We have made reforms to make it easy to get driving permits. You should now be able to get your driving permit within one hour.  It used to take three months and it came to seven days. We are creating mobile units that can come to your premises to issue driving permits," Katushabe said.

He was addressing the media on reforms being undertaken in the transport sector to improve the delivery of services in the industry. The function took place at the Sheraton Hotel, Kampala on Tuesday.

Katushabe said Government was also improving on vehicle inspections to improve safety on roads.  He noted that Government wants the cost of doing business to come down by making various improvements in the transport industry.

"Government is working towards improving the transport system, working on transport to ensure delivery of goods and services  on time," he said.

He cited plans ongoing to improve the transport and logistics sector.  These include; the northern corridor logistics master plan, the gulu logistics hub which is undergoing construction, one stop border posts and the standard gauge railway.

Other plans are the expansion of the Entebbe International Airport, setting up a cargo centre at the airport, skills need assessments study and the development of a national logistics policy and strategy.

"The logistics industry needs to work together and not in silos. Clearing agents can achieve alot when they put their energies together. We want a competitive sector.

We want schools that can train drivers to drive heavy goods vehicles and buses. We want to have a goods vehicle license for drivers of heavy goods and buses," he said.

 Katushabe said oil companies in the Albertine region will need 2,000 drivers to drive specialised trucks for the oil and gas industry

"We want to see professional goods vehicle drivers in Uganda, not people posing as drivers. We are amending the road safety act to address safety of drivers. The amendment will also have a separate class for drivers of heavy goods vehicles," Katushabe  said.