Police have announced that traffic fines for government officials and drivers who violate speed limits and traffic lights—excluding those constitutionally granted right of way—will now be directly deducted from their salaries.
During a weekend traffic rules training session for Faras, an online boda boda group, Kampala Metropolitan North Traffic Commander Bruce Oinebye said the move is part of an express penalty initiative aimed at enforcing road discipline. Fines incurred by government vehicles will be sent straight to their transport officers to facilitate salary deductions.
Drivers using unauthorized sirens have 72 hours to pay their fines; after this period, a 50% surcharge will be applied.
“Most government vehicles are overseen by a transport officer. Ignoring traffic lights and speeding results in tickets that go directly to them. Drivers will receive SMS notifications and emails with video evidence showing their speed at the time of the violation,” Mr. Oinebye said.
He warned that vehicles with unpaid fines after six months will be auctioned. He emphasized that all payments must be made through the URA account and that no traffic officer is allowed to accept cash.
Faras organized the sensitisation event to educate its riders on traffic rules. The company’s general manager, Mr. Mudhafar Hamad Kasaija, noted that Faras is collaborating with Uganda Police to enhance safety among boda boda riders, citing statistics from NGOs about frequent rider accidents.
“We want to professionalize boda boda services by reducing road accidents through police partnerships,” Kasaija said.
When asked about the implementation timeline of the scheme, Transport Ministry spokesperson Susan Kataike said the launch is expected this week, though an exact date hasn’t been confirmed. She stated that the initial focus will be on penalizing speeding and traffic light violations.
“There are 36 traffic offenses in total, but so far, only speeding and traffic light abuse have been automated. The old system will continue to handle the rest. The fine payment window has been shortened from 28 days to 72 hours, after which a 50% surcharge applies,” Kataike explained.
She noted that the revised system aims to address the leniency of the previous enforcement mechanism.
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