The Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety/ Chief Licensing Officer – Motor Vehicles at the of Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr. Winstone Katushabe, has said every commercial with no inspection license after 16th October 2026 will be impounded by the government.
Speaking at the launch of Double Q’s Sinotruk Howo Heavy-Duty Road Safety & Customer Support campaign “Safer Trucks. safer Drivers & Safer Roads” campaign on Friday at Busega, Katushabe said the government has given owners enough time to take their trucks to Namanve or Kawanda for inspection.
He said after the given period has expired, there will be no excuse, the government through Uganda Police and Ministry of Works and Transport will impound all the trucks.
He also warned drivers against drinking, drugs adding that regular checks will be done to ensure sober and proper licenced drivers are behind the wheels. “We are going to clean up our roads of any mess,” Winstone Katushabe said.
He said no more time for talking, it is now going to be full action.
VEHICLE INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
One of the critical pillars of road safety is ensuring that vehicles operating on our roads are road worthy and compliant with applicable requirements. This is particularly important for commercial vehicles, which are large and heavy machines that often operate for long hours, carry substantial loads and travel considerable distances. A defect that may appear minor can become a major safety risk when combined with speed, heavy loading, poor road conditions or driver fatigue. We therefore encourage owners and operators to treat vehicle inspection and preventive maintenance not merely as regulatory requirements, but as essential elements of responsible business operations.Compliance should not begin when an inspection date is announced. Compliance should be continuous.
RESPONSIBLE COMMERCIAL TRUCK OPERATION
A safe truck must also be operated by a competent, properly licensed and responsible driver. Fleet owners and operators should ensure that drivers entrusted with commercial equipment are appropriately qualified, licensed and competent for the vehicles they operate. Safe driving requires discipline, attention, knowledge of the vehicle, respect for other road users and compliance with traffic laws.Companies employing drivers must equally ensure that commercial pressures do not encourage speeding, overloading, driving while fatigued or ignoring mechanical defects. Commercial efficiency must never come at the expense of human life.
LOAD CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE
Compliance with requirements relating to vehicle dimensions and loads is equally important. Overloading is not merely a matter of protecting roads; it can affect braking performance, vehicle stability, tyre performance, suspension components and the driver’s ability to control the vehicle. We therefore call upon truck owners, transport companies, cargo owners and drivers to take load compliance seriously. Safe loading is a responsibility shared across the entire logistics chain.
