Drivers given one month grace period to renew expired permits

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government through the Ministry of Works and Transport has given drivers whose driving licenses have expired up to September 1 to renew them.

State Minister for Transport Fred Byamukama says that this has been done in response to the lifting of the 42-day lockdown on Friday which had led to the temporary closure of the Uganda Security Printing Company, the agency in charge of issuing driving permits, in order to limit the spread of coronavirus disease.

Byamukama said that the company is going to reopen its offices today to resume business but until September 1, the traffic police officers shouldn’t arrest drivers whose driving permits have expired.

However, Byamukama added that this waiver only applies to those drivers whose driving permits expired during the 42 day lockdown. Those without or whose driving permits expired way before the lockdown risk being arrested and prosecuted if they are found driving illegally.

“Our system is digitally connected, if you are saying my permit expired during the lockdown, then present it and the officer on the road will work on it to prove that it expired during the lockdown. If you don’t have, don’t risk yourself to go on the road,” Byamukama said.

Meanwhile, the ministry has also banned touts in bus and taxi terminals. Byamukama said this is done in order to decongest these places as means of fighting the spread of coronavirus.

Byamukama also called upon park managers not to allow more than one taxi or bus loading passengers at any one given time. He said for as long as the bus or taxi are taking the same route, only one should be entertained in the park to avoid overcrowding.

President Museveni on June 18 had among other things put a ban on public and private transport to cut the speed at which coronavirus was raging through the country. Among the restrictions that were eased on Friday was the movement of public vehicles although they were limited to taking only 50 per cent of their capacity while private vehicles were limited to three people including the driver.

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