Kampala, Uganda: Taxi drivers and operators have declared a nationwide strike starting Monday, June 16, 2025, should the government refuse to suspend the recently rolled-out Auto Express Penalty System (EPS), which they say is causing financial hardship due to heavy and unclear traffic fines.
The declaration followed a tense meeting on Wednesday at the Ministry of Works and Transport headquarters in Kampala, where taxi leaders stormed out after officials led by Commissioner Winston Katushabe said only Works Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala holds the power to suspend the EPS.
The drivers’ main concerns include what they described as excessively harsh fines and flawed enforcement mechanisms using automated traffic cameras. Since its rollout on June 1st, motorists across Uganda have decried the Auto EPS fines for minor infractions, including overspeeding, driving on stop lines, turning against road signs, and running red lights.
“We came here expecting immediate relief, but instead, we are being pushed back to someone we can’t reach,” Peter Kirabira, the vice chairperson of the Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators (UTOF), said briefly after the meeting fallout.
Kirabira added that the legislation did not consider carrying out a consultative meeting with the motorists as industry stakeholders, which has resulted in the system backlash. He, therefore, mobilized fellow motorists, including private drivers, to join in what is shaping into a large-scale protest against the automated traffic fine system.
The operators further argue that the latest vehicles manufactured are not made to run under 30km/h and urged the implementors to consider revising the harsh regulation to be applicable to the latest car technology.
Transport Ministry responds
However, speaking to the media after the fallout, Commissioner Katushabe acknowledged concerns raised by the operators and broader public but clarified that only the Minister of Works and Transport holds the authority to suspend the system.
“The regulation is necessary to bring order on our roads. We lose over 2,000 people annually to road crashes, and about 60% of the Mulago Hospital casualty ward budget is spent on trauma cases,” Mr Katushabe noted.
“Any implementation of a regulation will have gaps. We have listened to constructive criticism from both taxi operators and the general public,” he added, admitting that some EPS tickets could have been issued erroneously and revealed that he has asked the Directorate of Traffic to investigate specific complaints, including cases where motorists claim they were fined while driving within the speed limit.
Mr Katushabe also said the ministry is considering adjusting the penalty payment window from the current 72 hours to a more lenient 28 days. In addition, concerns about poor signage and a lack of public sensitization were acknowledged.
The Commissioner emphasized that the government intends to enforce further measures like the demerit point system on driver’s licenses to target habitual offenders while avoiding congestion of the courts.
However, Mr Katushabe made it clear that suspension or halting the Auto EPS lies solely with Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala and assured that a formal report compiling the operators’ appeal and recommendations will be submitted to the Minister for action.
“The final decision lies with the Minister. We are just technical advisors. It is now up to the political leadership to determine the way forward,” he said.
But Allan Ssempebwa, the Works and Transport Ministry’s communication officer, says all Ugandans should now focus on ensuring everyone observes safety on the roads rather than accusing one another.
“Last year, we had over 5,000 fatalities in the 25,100 road crashes, but the implementation of the AutoEPS has seen sanity restored on the roads because the objective was not to punish people but rather to ensure everyone is safe on the roads,” he said.
“If you are on the road and a traffic officer releases you when the lights are red, you will not be fined because the officer is exercising his powers and the system is aware, just be careful not to break the law on your side,” Ssempebwa added.
The Automated Express Penalty System (AutoEPS), which has thrown many road users into disarray, is part of the ongoing implementation of the Intelligence Transport Monitoring System (ITMS), a government initiative being implemented by a Russian security firm, M/s Joint Stock Company Global Security (JSCGS).
The new system enforces speed limits based on zone classification: 30 km/h for residential areas, school zones, hospitals, and markets, 50 km/h for urban centres and roads within towns, 80 km/h for regular highways and some expressways and 100 km/h for select expressways with high-speed design capacity.
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