GOVT ORDERS BUS DRIVERS TO SWITCH AFTER LONG JOURNEYS TO CURB FATIGUE

Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama speaking during the meeting with drivers.

NILE POST

The government has introduced new measures requiring bus operators to change drivers after long-distance journeys, as authorities intensify efforts to curb driver fatigue following a series of fatal road crashes in recent weeks.

Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama announced the measures after meeting bus operators, Traffic Police and other transport stakeholders at the Ministry headquarters on Monday evening.

Under the new directive, buses travelling more than 300 kilometres will be required to have a different driver for the return journey.

A driver who completes the outbound journey on a route exceeding 300 kilometres will not be allowed to drive the same bus back along that route.

Traffic Police has been directed to apprehend operators and drivers who disregard the requirement.

For journeys of less than 300 kilometres, a driver will be allowed to travel to the destination and return once. After completing the return journey, the driver must stop work for the day and cannot undertake a third leg on the same day.

The measures are intended to reduce driver fatigue, which authorities and transport sector stakeholders have identified as one of the factors contributing to road crashes.

The directive comes after a series of deadly crashes involving buses and other passenger vehicles in July and early August.

On July 7, at least 14 people were killed and 28 injured when an Opit Travellers bus collided with a trailer at Bobi Trading Centre along the Kampala-Gulu Highway in Omoro District. Preliminary police findings linked the crash to reckless driving.

A week later, a bus carrying more than 70 students of Mwebaza High School to Jinja for a study trip collided with a passenger train at the Namumira railway crossing in Mukono. One teacher was killed and several students were injured.

The same week, another school bus carrying students from St Paul Secondary School, Katakwi, was involved in a crash along the Mbale-Iganga Highway after it rammed into a stationary trailer. The driver was killed and 15 people, most of them students, were injured.

The most serious incident occurred on July 16 when a King David Junior School bus carrying pupils from an educational trip to Sipi Falls crashed at Chekwatit along the Kapchorwa-Mbale Road.

Police subsequently confirmed that 24 people, including the bus driver, had died. Investigations into the cause of the crash remain ongoing.

The tragedy prompted the Ministry of Education and Sports to suspend all school trips and excursions. Police later clarified that the suspension applied to vehicles transporting learners on school trips and did not affect ordinary public transport buses.

The concentration of crashes involving buses and other passenger vehicles has also triggered calls for tougher enforcement of driver and vehicle safety requirements.

Transport leaders in Northern Uganda recently attributed the rising crashes to factors including driver fatigue, speeding, dangerous overtaking and indiscipline. They also urged bus companies to strengthen driver recruitment, check drivers’ accident histories and ensure they receive adequate rest.

The Ministry of Works and Transport has separately proposed an electronic clocking-in system for public-service vehicle drivers to monitor their driving hours, rest periods and speeding.

The proposal was presented to Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure in July after ministry officials reviewed a series of crashes.

The ministry said investigations into the July crashes had revealed non-compliance with transport regulations, including unlicensed buses, unaccredited drivers, mechanical defects and weak enforcement.

Under the proposed electronic monitoring system, drivers would record their journeys at designated points, allowing authorities to establish how long they had been driving and how much rest they had received.

The government has also said it plans to strengthen digital verification systems for detecting unlicensed vehicles and unauthorized drivers, while reviewing the National Road Safety Action Plan.

The recent measures build on earlier action against bus operators.

In May, the Ministry of Works and Transport suspended Nile Star bus operations for 30 days following a fatal crash in Nwoya in which seven passengers were killed and 16 others seriously injured.

The ministry said Nile Star buses had been involved in 11 crashes over the preceding year, resulting in 91 deaths and 56 injuries. The minister at the time cited possible driver fatigue and poor management of driver schedules among the concerns.

The government has also intensified scrutiny of heavy commercial vehicles. Earlier this month, authorities ordered all Sino trucks to undergo mandatory mechanical inspections within a two-month period, warning that vehicles failing to meet safety requirements could be taken off the road.

The renewed focus on bus operations comes as road crashes continue to claim lives.

On August 4, at least 14 people were killed when a passenger van collided with a sand-carrying truck in Kalungu District, according to police. Four others were injured, while the truck driver reportedly fled the scene.

Byamukama has urged bus operators to comply with the latest driver-management requirements, saying the measures are aimed at protecting passengers and other road users.

The government says Traffic Police will be expected to enforce the new rules, particularly on long-distance routes where driver fatigue can become a major safety risk.

The latest directive therefore adds another layer to the government’s emerging road-safety strategy, which now includes tighter driver monitoring, scrutiny of vehicle condition, enforcement against unlicensed operators, restrictions on school transport activities and measures aimed at ensuring drivers get adequate rest.