KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Ministry of Works and Transport has announced October 31 as the new deadline for the commencement exercise for the new digital car number plates, DailyExpress has learnt.
In a June 30 letter released by the Ministry, the state minister for transport Fred Byamukama said the purpose of amending the deadline is to give government enough time to prepare and sensitize the public about the importance and relevance of the service towards the Roads Safety and Security.
The development comes after the process of rolling out the digital plates was Friday suspended after the Inspectorate of Government (IG) terminated contractor’s license plus failure by the latter to deliver the first batch of the plates before the July 1st deadline.
Minister Byamukama had earlier told journalists that that whereas the ministry was ready to roll out the process by Saturday, it was not possible since the contractor had not supplied the number plates on the agreed time.
“The number plates are not yet here and we cannot strangle the contractor because he failed to deliver on time. We shall continue getting number plates from the companies that have been supplying us because even the IGG halted the termination of their licenses,” he noted.
The new development also means that contracts for the current service provider of the number plates, M/S Arnold Brookyln Company Limited and M/S Tumpeco Limited have also been extended for four months (June 30 to October 31, 2023).
“In addition, the Ministry of Works and Transport has extended the contracts for the current service providers of number plates, M/S Arnold Brooklyn Company Ltd and M/S GM Tumpeco Ltd for a duration of four months from 30th June 2023. That is, until 31st Oct 2023,” Minister Byamukama said in the letter.
Background
Government in 2021 handfully picked the Russian firm, M/S Joint Stock Company Global Security (JSCGS) as the supplier of the new digital number plates embedded with surveillance under the envisaged Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS).
With the digital number plates in play, car owners will have to part with Shs735,000 annually for the new security-enhanced motor vehicle plates, a figure way higher than what motorists in some neighbouring countries are paying for the same security features.
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