KAMPALA- A group of bus owners and drivers yesterday afternoon stormed the office of the Chief Licensing Officer, Ministry of Works and Transport, calling for an extension of the ultimatum period for acquiring a validated badge for another two months.
Last week, the Ministry of Works and Transport issues a notice to all bus owners and drivers to ensure that they all get badges before 4th December, 2024.
Failure to comply with this requirement constituted an offense, punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years upon conviction as stipulated in Section 42(2) of The Traffic & Road Safety Act. (CAP.347).
On Thursday last week, the directorate of traffic and road safety directed for the mounting of check points along different highways to enforce the requirement of badges to all bus drivers without validated badges.
A number of drivers have been arrested and buses impounded and this has inconvenienced passengers and bus owners this being a festive season.
Hajj Munir Kayanja a bus owner and Chairman Bus Owners Buganda Region told journalists that they wanted the enforcement of the badge be extended to all other forms of vehicles including taxis, saloon cars since all contribute equally to the cause of accidents along the road.
Cue in……….Bus drivers’ storm
In response, the Ministry of Works and Transport Public Relations Officer Ms Sarah Kataike said a badge is a requirement for every bus driver and its one of the mitigating measure the government is looking at to prevent road crashes.
Kataike also downplayed plans by the Ministry to have the operations suspended.
