Uganda: Govt Orders Bus Drivers to Switch After Long Journeys to Curb Fatigue

What the report says

Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport has ordered bus operators to change drivers after long-distance trips, in a move aimed at reducing fatigue-related crashes. According to Nile Post, the directive was announced by Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama after a meeting with bus operators, Traffic Police and other stakeholders at the ministry headquarters in Kampala on Monday evening.

Under the new rules, buses traveling more than 300 kilometres must have a different driver for the return leg. For shorter journeys, one driver may complete a round trip but must stop for the day afterward and cannot take a third leg. Traffic Police has been told to arrest operators and drivers who ignore the requirements.

The government’s action follows a string of deadly road accidents involving buses and other passenger vehicles in July and early August. The article cites crashes on the Kampala-Gulu Highway, in Mukono, on the Mbale-Iganga Highway and along the Kapchorwa-Mbale Road, among others, some of which killed students, teachers and bus drivers. Authorities and transport stakeholders have linked these incidents to fatigue, speeding, reckless overtaking and weak enforcement.

Nile Post also reports that the new directive fits into broader road-safety efforts, including proposals for electronic tracking of driver hours, tighter checks on unlicensed vehicles and drivers, and stronger vehicle inspections. The ministry has previously suspended a bus company after a fatal crash, and officials say the latest measures are meant to improve passenger safety and reduce preventable deaths on Uganda’s roads.