The Ugandan Traffic Police have extended their Operation Ganyegenya into night hours in a bid to crack down on unroadworthy public service vehicles. This move comes after reports that some taxi operators with unroadworthy vehicles were deliberately taking to the roads at night to evade enforcement. The operation, which started on August 24, aims to intensify enforcement on dangerous and unroadworthy public service vehicles.
According to Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura, the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety has changed its enforcement tactics to include night operations. He warned that operators should not mistake the change in enforcement hours for a reduction in the crackdown. Kananura emphasized that driving at night will not provide an escape from the operation, and that working at night will be dangerous for those operating unroadworthy vehicles.
Operation Ganyegenya is a 100-day crackdown that was launched four days after the Ministry of Works and Transport directed traffic authorities to intensify enforcement. During the first 27 days of the operation, 499 taxis were impounded across the Kampala Metropolitan Area. Of these, 369 underwent inspection at gazetted centers, with only 42 vehicles, representing 11.1 percent, passing the inspection.
The inspections target defects and safety requirements, including bull bars, cracked windscreens, worn-out tyres, defective brakes, and damaged bodywork. Vehicles found with defects are released to their owners without number plates to allow repairs and must return for a second inspection using specialized equipment. Kananura attributed the pace of enforcement partly to inadequate parking space for impounded vehicles.
Some taxi users have raised concerns on social media that vehicles previously impounded under the operation have returned to the roads, questioning whether the crackdown can achieve its objectives without adequate parking yards, inspection centers, and enforcement personnel. The concerns have also raised questions about the feasibility of extending the operation across the country.
The directorate has also provided updates on other operations, including Operation Babala Salama, targeting Sinotruks and licensing compliance, and Operation Tekeleza Sheria, conducted jointly with UPDF Military Police and targeting illegal sirens and concealed number plates. Kananura said 148 vehicles had been inspected under Operation Babala Salama, with 107 passing and 41 failing.
Meanwhile, Sinotruk operators have been given 60 days to voluntarily present their vehicles for inspection. Kananura warned that vehicles without the required inspection reports after the expiry of the 60-day period would be impounded. He emphasized that these operations will continue until there is greater sanity, discipline, and compliance on Ugandan roads.
Key points
- The Ugandan Traffic Police have extended Operation Ganyegenya into night hours to target unroadworthy vehicles.
- 499 taxis were impounded across the Kampala Metropolitan Area during the first 27 days of the operation.
- The operation aims to intensify enforcement on dangerous and unroadworthy public service vehicles.
