KAMPALA, Uganda (UGNEWSLINE) – More than four in every five commuter taxis inspected by Uganda’s transport authorities have failed roadworthiness tests, raising fresh concerns about passenger safety as the government steps up efforts to remove dangerous vehicles from public roads.
The Ministry of Works and Transport said 423 of the 531 taxis inspected at Namanve and Kawanda inspection centres had failed the tests by October 15, after being found with mechanical defects that could put passengers and other road users at risk.
The findings, released on October 16, show that 79.7% of the inspected taxis, commonly known as Drone or Ganyegenya, were in dangerous mechanical condition, while only 108 vehicles, representing 20.3%, met the required standards.
The ministry identified faulty brakes, defective steering systems, worn-out tyres, damaged suspension and malfunctioning lights among the critical defects discovered during the inspections.
In a further enforcement operation conducted overnight, the ministry, working with the Uganda Police Force, impounded several taxis found operating at night despite having been declared unroadworthy.
The operation is part of a wider campaign targeting vehicles considered unsafe for public transport, with authorities seeking to prevent mechanical failures that could lead to crashes and endanger passengers.
The crackdown comes as the government also moves to enforce mandatory inspections for heavy dump trucks, including Sinotruk vehicles, following a rise in road crashes involving the vehicles and resulting fatalities.
A 60-day inspection period announced on August 17 was due to expire on October 16. By October 15, authorities had inspected 492 dump trucks, of which 390, or 79.3%, passed, while 102, representing 20.7%, failed.
The inspection programme assesses braking performance, steering, tyres, emissions, suspension, lighting systems and structural integrity, among other safety-critical components.
The ministry warned that dump trucks without valid inspection certificates would not be allowed to operate on public roads after the deadline, adding that joint enforcement operations with police would begin immediately.
Vehicles belonging to operators who fail to comply risk being impounded.
Inspections of dump trucks will continue within the Kampala Metropolitan Area before being extended to other parts of the country. Owners and operators who have not yet presented their vehicles have been urged to take them to the Namanve and Kawanda inspection centres.
The latest figures underline the scale of the roadworthiness challenge facing transport authorities, with hundreds of taxis and heavy commercial vehicles failing tests designed to identify mechanical defects before they contribute to deadly road crashes.
