Kampala, (UG):- The Ministry of Transport and Works has unveiled the new digital car number plate system rolling out the new plates for government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Works and Transport, is part of a broader effort to modernize vehicle registration in the country transitioning from the outgoing system, which used the arrangement UAA 001A for most vehicles.
According to Susan Kataike, the Principal Communications Officer at the Ministry, the first year of the exercise has been successful, with 2,143 government vehicles already fitted with the new digital plates.
Additionally, the rollout extended to motorcycles in November of last year, covering 11,721 private and public motorcycles, particularly newly imported or assembled ones.
Key Features of the New Digital Plates The digital numbering system introduces several changes, including:
- New Number Formats for Government Vehicles:
- Government ministry vehicles are identified by the prefix “UG”, followed by a two-digit code specific to the ministry and a five-digit vehicle number. For example, UG 32 00042 represents a Ministry of Health vehicle, with “32” denoting the ministry.
- Unlike the old system, which used distinct letters for each ministry or agency, the new codes make use of numbers, which has drawn criticism from the public for being harder to memorize and identify.
- New Number Formats for Local Government Vehicles:
- Local government vehicles are marked with the prefix “LG”, followed by the district number. This format distinguishes them from central government vehicles, which retain the “UG” designation.
- Private and Public Vehicles:
- Private vehicles under the new system have seven characters, such as UA 001AA.
- Trailers feature eight characters, formatted as T UA 001AA.
- Motorcycles are labelled with the prefix UMA 001AA.
Below is the full list of Government MDA Codes under the new digital number plates system
- UG 01: Office of the President
- UG 02: Education Service Commission
- UG 03: Electoral Commission
- UG 04: Equal Opportunities Commission
- UG 05: Health Service Commission
- UG 06: Judicial Service Commission
- UG 07: Local Government Commission
- UG 08: Public Service Commission
- UG 09: Uganda Human Rights Commission
- UG 10: Uganda Land Commission
- UG 11: Uganda Law Reform Commission
- UG 12: Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries
- UG 16: Inspectorate of Government
- UG 18: Defence and Veteran Affairs
- UG 19: Education and Sports
- UG 20: Finance Planning and Economic Development
- UG 21: Internal Affairs
- UG 22: Clerk to Parliament
- UG 23: Auditor General
- UG 24: Justice and Constitutional Affairs
- UG 25: Courts of Judicature
- UG 26: Directorate of Public Prosecution
- UG 27: Law Development Centre
- UG 28: East African Community Affairs
- UG 29: Energy and Minerals
- UG 30: Lands and Urban Development
- UG 31: Ministry of Health
- UG 32: Information and Communication Technology
- UP 00: Uganda Police Force
- UG 33: Public Service
- UG 34: Local Government
- UG 35: Water and Environment
- UG 36: Tourism, Wildlife, and Antiquities
- UG 37: Trade, Industries, and Co-Operatives
- UU 00: Uganda Prisons Services
- UG 38: Works and Transport
- UG 39: Foreign Affairs
- UG 40: Gender, Labour, and Social Development
- UG 41: Office of the Prime Minister
Public Response and Criticism
While the government emphasizes the security benefits of the digital system, public feedback has been mixed. Many have expressed concern that the plates are difficult to read and memorize, particularly for government vehicles. The use of numerical codes for MDAs, rather than distinct letter combinations, has been a specific point of contention.
Despite this, the government remains committed to the digital number plate system, citing its potential for improved vehicle tracking and management.
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