The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
THIS WEEK: Truck drivers decry new road regulations, penalties set
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a bid to protect roads, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) recently released new rules on road use that take effect next month.
The new regulations state that errant users face fines and imprisonment in case they are found guilty of offenses related to poor road use which among others include over loading and abandoning vehicles on the road for more than six hours.
But, ever since the rules were released commercial drivers like truck and taxi drivers have complained of the authority setting rules intended to drive them out of business.
“We have been on a number of operation with UNRA Executive Director and she knows that in Uganda there are no functioning weighbridges. With that, now you go on to draft regulations with penalties without even rectifying the problem.
This is mistreatment and it will drive many drivers out of business,” Byron Kinene, the chairman Drivers and Transporters’ Association (DTA) said pointing out that they always have to endure corrupt officials operating weigh bridges who ask for bribes in order to approve a vehicle’s load.
However, the new rules which provide for a driver repairing a destroyed road in case of a reckless accident according to UNRA will solve the problem of accidents and roads will last longer.
