Police launch operation against unlicensed drone taxis
Law enforcement officials from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and police check the validity of a drone operating as a taxi on Entebbe Road on November 16, 2022. PHOTO/ ISAAC KASAMANI.
What you need to know:
- From October 30 to November 12, a total of 666 road crashes were registered and out of these, 292 were fatal, 380 were serious and 194 were minor.
Police have started an operation to impound Toyota Hiace minivans, locally known as drones, operating as passenger service vehicles (PSV) without licences.
By the time of filing this story yesterday, police could not confirm if any of the vehicles had been impounded and the owners arrested.
This follows a directive on Monday by the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety to impound all drones operating as PSV taxis without licences.
“All those operating drones as PSV taxis, especially on Entebbe and Jinja roads, your vans don’t have the licence to do this. You are not licenced to carry passengers at a fee,” Ms Farida Nampiima, the spokesperson of the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, said on Monday.
She added: “We are giving you two days. On Wednesday, November 16, we are starting an operation on these vehicles on the road and whoever will be arrested in this operation will be taken to court. No Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) ticket will be issued to anyone operating as a PSV yet you’re not licensed to do so.”
The targeted drones have similar features to taxis but bear tinted window panes which make it difficult to see what is happening inside the vehicle.
The ban follows incidents where they have continuously been used in abductions across the country.
Ms Nampiima urged all those who wish to use the drones as PSV taxis to go to the Ministry of Works and Transport, and get licences for the vehicles.
“Minus a licence, we are going to arrest you and take you to court. Let us operate with the requirements because the PSV operations are clear that no one will operate a PSV except under the regulations,” Ms Nampiima said.
She added that from October 30 to November 12, a total of 666 road crashes were registered and out of these, 292 were fatal, 380 were serious and 194 were minor.
In these accidents, there were 632 victims, of which 100 died and 532 sustained serious injuries.
The causes of these accidents include reckless driving, reckless pedestrians, speeding, using mobile phones and not respecting road signage.
