At least 17 billion shillings was collected in traffic fines for drivers with vehicles in dangerous mechanical conditions (DMCs) last year. Traffic police statistics show that 85,156 vehicles were penalized for being DMCs.
Each vehicle in DMC is given an express penalty ticket worth 200,000 Shillings.
This brings the total amount collected in fines to 17 billion shillings and thirty-one million shillings.
Michael Kananura, the traffic police spokesperson, says that 233 vehicles were impounded and fined every day for being road unworthy. This also means police collected 46.6 million shillings per day from drivers with DMCs.
According to Kananura, the number of DMCs impounded last year shows that police are determined to ensure road safety by removing all road-unworthy vehicles on the road. “On the issue of DMC, we always impound them. We impounded 85,156 vehicles which were in dangerous conditions in 2024. This shows how we are determined to deal with DMCs. Very soon we are starting mandatory inspections and hopeful, it will yield some results,” SP Kananura said.
Fred Kiapi, the programmes officer for Safe Transport and Survivors Support Uganda (STASSU) said penalties should not be prioritised but emphasis should be that the driver must repair or service the vehicle before it is allowed to get back on the road.
“We have often seen and read that billions of money have been collected in traffic fines. It is good to penalize the drivers but it is not helpful. I believe that if a vehicle is found to be road unworthy, it should be kept off the road until the owner services or repairs it,” Kiapi said.
A vehicle suspected to have been in a bad mechanical condition driven by police officers killed Florence Taka, the wife to Julius Maganda, the former minister for state for East African Affairs Kitukutwe along the Kiwologoma-Nakwero road in Wakiso district.
Kananura said they cannot conclude on what was the exact cause of the crash but investigations are ongoing. He said the accident involved a Toyota Harrier registration number UAM 516B in which the deceased was and a Toyota Premio being driven by a policeman.