VIDEO: Police to arrest express ticket defaulters today
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga addresses the media on August 15, 2022. PHOTO/FRANK BAGUMA
What you need to know:
- Police have asked defaulters to pay their fine on time or risk arrest.
Police have announced a countrywide operation to arrest and impound vehicles that have pending Express Penalty System (EPS) tickets starting today.
The express penalty scheme has 25 offences for motorists and offenders are liable to pay between Shs20,000 and Shs200,000 depending on the offence.
The police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga, said for the last seven months, a total of 229,938 tickets worth Shs18.5 billion have been issued and some money has not been paid.
“We are going to feed the number plates of the cars that have defaulted in the CCTV camera system and blacklisted. Wherever the vehicle is spotted by the CCTV camera, our traffic officers will be alerted, the vehicle stopped and impounded,” Mr Enanga said.
While addressing journalists last Friday, Mr Enanga said whereas the system of express penalty scheme was introduced to help police manage minor traffic offenders without necessarily arresting offenders, many have failed to heed to the requirement of paying the EPS tickets within 28 days.
“The primary objective of the scheme was to deter users from committing road offences and also to decongest our courts. However, many have failed to pay. We shall, therefore, launch operations targeting EPS defaulters to purposely recover express penalty scheme arrears of about Shs8b which is out there since January,” he said.
In a related development, police revealed that distracted driving has led to loss of lives in fatal accidents in Uganda and across the world
Police records indicate that at least five in 10 motorists use their phone while driving.
Whereas many think that the law only penalises driving while speaking on the phone, Ms Faridah Nampiima, the traffic police spokesperson, said even using voice notes on WhatsApp is wrong.
“Those found using a hand held telephone while driving are liable to pay a Shs100,000 fine. Even the bluetooth and headsets are all part of the telephone and if found using them, you will be liable to pay the fine,” Ms Nampiima said.
She said: “If you need to communicate on WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook or any social media platform, do it while you have parked the vehicle.”
Once an express penalty scheme ticket is issued, it takes 28 days and if they elapse, it attracts a 50 percent surcharge. An offender has the right to challenge the ticket issued.
Other traffic offences and their penalties
- Driving a vehicle without a valid licence/ out of class or expired- Shs100,000
- Driving a vehicle without valid motor third party- Shs40,000
- Driving a vehicle with obscured/covered/ tilted/ not clear/ without a number plate- Shs40,000
- Vehicle when number plates are obscured/ covered/ tilted/ not clear/without number plate- Shs40,000
- Allowing a person not enrolled as a student in a driving school to drive or ride a vehicle or motorcycle-Shs100,000
- Driving or loading a vehicle in a dangerous manner to other road users – Shs200,000
- Using a vehicle in breach of a licence it was issued- Shs100,000
- Driving a vehicle in a dangerous mechanical condition-Shs60,000
- Driving under the influence of alcohol- Shs200,000
- Careless driving- Shs100,000
- Driving past the prescribed speed- Shs200,000
- Failure to provide right of way to emergency vehicles -Shs100,000
- Failure to stop at railway level crossing/ parking on railway line- Shs40,000
- Carrying more than one person on motorcycle - Shs100,000
- Carrying more passengers than prescribed and likely to interfere with safe driving – Shs100,000
- Leaving car parked while obstructing the road/ parking in road - Shs100,000
- Riding motorcycle without permit- Shs40,000
- Riding on road without helmet- Shs40,000
- Passenger in a vehicle not wearing seat belt- Shs20,000
- Using vehicle without reflectors or warning signs- Shs100,000
