The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Police Commander Norman Musinga has launched a hunt for drivers with unsettled traffic penalties. The traffic police estimate that express penalty receipts worth 52 billion Shillings have not been cleared since 2007.
Musinga says that traffic police officers have been deployed on all major roads in Kampala with Electronic Express Penalties Scheme (EPS) gadgets, to ensure that all defaulters are apprehended. Police said any vehicle with unpaid tickets will be impounded and the drivers arrested.
Musinga said several drivers, especially in public transport, have been switching vehicles, once the tickets accumulate complicating the recovery of funds. He is however optimistic that the new EPS system unveiled on Monday will eliminate the loophole.
Under the new arrangement, traffic fines are no longer placed on a car number plate but will be issued against the driver’s permit. This means the driver will carry his penalties even when he switches from one vehicle to another.
Musinga said surcharge with be placed on every unpaid penalty after 28 days from the time of issuance. The penalties will be shared with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Face Technologies. Drivers with pending traffic penalties will have their driving permits withheld during renewal until they clear.
Some of the roads in Kampala where Musinga and his team of over 200 traffic officers have started a hunt of traffic defaulters include Kampala Road, Jinja Road, Busega junction along Kampala-Masaka highway, Busega along Kampala Mityana highway and Entebbe highway.
So far seven drivers have been arrested and taxis with more than five unpaid tickets have been impounded and parked at Kampala Central Police Station (CPS). Among the taxis, there is one with 19 unpaid tickets totalling to 3 million Shillings.
Musinga said EPS is also helping them to detect forgeries of driving permits and receipts for express penalties. Police added that police in the final stages of establishing a data bank for all drivers for easy monitoring of their conduct on roads.
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