Transport Minister Fred Byamukama announces tougher rules targeting driver fatigue, vehicle safety and accountability on Uganda’s long-distance bus routes
Uganda is tightening safety rules for long-distance buses, with the government ordering mandatory driver changes on longer routes and stricter controls on vehicle roadworthiness.
Minister of State for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama said the new measures were agreed upon during a meeting with bus operators, Traffic Police and other transport stakeholders aimed at improving passenger safety.
Under the new rules, buses travelling more than 300 kilometres must change drivers before beginning the return journey.
Drivers operating on shorter routes will be allowed to make one return trip but must stop driving for the rest of the day afterwards.
The measures are designed to tackle one of the most persistent risks in long-distance passenger transport: driver fatigue.
“On routes above 300km, the driver must be changed before the return journey,” Byamukama said.
The minister also ordered bus operators to ensure that driver identification badges are clearly displayed inside every bus.
The requirement is intended to make drivers readily identifiable to passengers and enforcement officers while strengthening accountability among public transport operators.
Byamukama further directed that buses must undergo mandatory vehicle inspection and be clearly marked as roadworthy before being allowed to operate.
Traffic Police will enforce the new requirements, giving law enforcement a direct role in ensuring that bus operators comply with the safety standards.
The government’s approach places responsibility on both sides of the safety equation: drivers must be sufficiently rested to operate safely, while buses must meet required roadworthiness standards.
For passengers travelling hundreds of kilometres across Uganda, the rules could bring changes to how bus companies schedule drivers and manage long-distance journeys.
The directive also signals a tougher approach to commercial passenger transport, where preventing crashes requires more than reacting after accidents occur.
Byamukama’s instructions put fatigue management, driver identification and vehicle inspection at the centre of Uganda’s effort to make long-distance bus travel safer.
With Traffic Police tasked with enforcement, bus operators now face increased scrutiny over whether their vehicles are roadworthy and whether drivers are operating within the newly established limits.
