KAMPALA, Uganda — Government officials are preparing to reinstate the automated traffic fine system with a renewed focus on enforcing a 30 kph speed limit in sensitive areas to protect pedestrians and reduce road crashes.
The Express Penalty Scheme, which uses cameras to penalize speeding and red-light violations, was suspended following motorist complaints regarding system errors, multiple fines and unclear legal provisions. Winstone Katushabe, commissioner for road safety at the Ministry of Works and Transport, said Wednesday that lessons from that suspension are shaping the revised system.
Government has been trying to put in place interventions to reduce road crashes and one of the biggest challenges of these road crashes is speed, Katushabe said during a stakeholder meeting in Kampala.
Under the revised approach, authorities will enforce the 30 kph limit only in designated zones such as schools, hospitals, markets and churches. Robert Kisakye, a senior licensing officer at the ministry, said previous proposals mistakenly extended the limit across entire roads, a move that has since been corrected to focus on vulnerable road users.
To address public concerns, the government is revising the timeline for paying fines and clarifying legal responsibility for borrowed or hired vehicles.
You are issued a ticket, and you are supposed to pay within 28 days. In 2020, this law was amended to reflect 72 hours, and that is one of the areas that had contention among the public, Katushabe said.
Technical improvements are underway to prevent duplicate fines and ensure coordination between the transport ministry and police. The system is currently being tested using government vehicles, with a phased rollout expected to begin in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Authorities also plan to install clear signage to warn drivers of upcoming speed cameras. If a camera is half a kilometer ahead, a signpost will be placed to notify motorists, Katushabe added.
The intervention comes as Uganda faces a significant road safety crisis. More than 25,000 road crashes were recorded in 2024, resulting in an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 deaths annually. Police data indicates that speeding and reckless driving are the leading causes of these accidents.
The ministry will continue consultations in Jinja, Gulu and Mbarara before submitting a final report to the Cabinet.
