Six buses carrying students to Tanzania for a regional school sports competition have been intercepted and impounded by the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety after their drivers were found to have violated traffic regulations, despite the schools having obtained clearance from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The incident has exposed gaps in the implementation of the multi-agency road travel checklist introduced following the Kapchorwa tragedy, in which more than 20 children from King David Junior School, Ndejje lost their lives during a school trip.
The buses, belonging to Gombe SS, Seroma Christian High School, Nabisunsa Girls School, St Cyprian High School Kyabakadde, Light College Katikamu and Katikamu SDA Secondary School, were among 10 vehicles transporting students to the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association games in Morogoro, Tanzania. They were intercepted at the Njeru traffic police checkpoint over the weekend.
Four other buses belonging to St Mary’s College Kitende, Namilyango College, Gayaza High School and Mbogo SS were found to be compliant with the traffic requirements and were allowed to proceed to Tanzania. Superintendent of Police Michael Kananura said the six non-compliant buses were escorted back to their respective schools with the students still on board.
The violations included expired or missing driving badges, drivers operating vehicles outside the class of permits they held, and buses operating without valid Public Service Vehicle licences, inspection letters and other mandatory documents.
Kananura said clearance from the Ministry of Education and Sports does not exempt schools, drivers or transporters from complying with traffic regulations. He said all vehicles transporting students must have valid driving licences and permits, route charts, vehicle inspection certificates and Public Service Vehicle requirements, among other mandatory documents.
Henry Mugisha, an Education Ministry official who travelled with the teams, said a multi-sectoral committee established following the Kapchorwa tragedy had developed a checklist to guide schools transporting students by road. The committee comprises officials from Uganda Police, the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Works and Transport, and Education and Sports.
“Each agency clears schools according to its mandate before the Ministry of Education issues the final letter,” Mugisha said. He said some of the schools whose buses were intercepted may not have completed all the required procedures and could have been missing technical clearances from the police or the Ministry of Works.
“When schools come to us, we first give them the checklist from the Inspector General of Police. Once they get the required recommendations, we use that to clear them. Schools that are stuck are likely missing technical requirements from police or the Ministry of Works, not from the Ministry of Education,” Mugisha said.
Police said school administrators and transport operators are expected to liaise with the nearest traffic police station to have their vehicles inspected and obtain the necessary clearances before embarking on student journeys.
Kananura said police would continue enforcing the regulations governing school transport, including the requirement that vehicles carrying students operate only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. He warned drivers against speeding, overloading and reckless driving.
Kananura said police have intensified intelligence-led operations targeting vehicles transporting students in breach of the established guidelines. The drivers of the intercepted buses were released on police bond and instructed to report back to police for further statements.
They are expected to face charges in court for various traffic offences. The crackdown comes amid growing concern over Uganda’s road safety crisis. More than 25,000 road crashes are recorded in the country annually, resulting in about 25,800 casualties and between 5,000 and 6,000 deaths. This translates to roughly 14 people losing their lives on Ugandan roads every day-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
