Gov't bans bus drivers from doing return trip on long routes
The Ministry of Works and Transport has ordered bus operators to rotate drivers on long distance routes, in a bid to curb driver fatigue on Uganda's highways.
State Minister for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, announced the measures after meeting bus operators, Traffic Police and other transport stakeholders at the ministry's 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 leg 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.
Byamukama urged bus operators to comply with the new driver management requirements, saying the measures are aimed at protecting passengers and other road users.
The directive adds another layer to government's road safety strategy this year, which has also included mandatory vehicle inspections, a nationwide safety audit of railway crossings and high risk roads, and tighter scrutiny of school transport operators following recent fatal crashes.
Effective date and further enforcement guidelines were not immediately specified. Efforts to reach bus operators for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
