Drivers face arrest as police ban excess front-seat passengers

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The Uganda Police Force’s Traffic and Road Safety Directorate has banned drivers of saloon cars from carrying passengers in a manner that interferes with safe driving.

Police warned on Thursday, April 9, 2026, that offenders will not face fines but will instead be arrested, detained, and taken to court.

The directive follows what the directorate spokesperson, Micheal Kananura, described as a growing practice among some drivers who carry excess passengers, especially in the front seats, in ways that obstruct proper vehicle control.

He said the behaviour is a serious traffic violation that compromises safe driving and significantly increases the risk of road crashes, which can result in loss of life.

“Drivers are hereby directed to immediately stop carrying passengers in a manner that interferes with safe driving. There will be no on-the-spot penalties. Offenders will be arrested, detained and taken to court,” Kananura said.

He also appealed to passengers to act responsibly. “Do not board overloaded vehicles or those operating in violation of safety regulations, even in the interest of saving time or money,” he added.

Kananura said several drivers have already been arrested and are currently in police custody pending court proceedings.

“However, enforcement alone is not enough. We have observed that some drivers deliberately avoid checkpoints and police deployments by using alternative routes. In some cases, passengers knowingly cooperate by disembarking before checkpoints and rejoining the vehicles afterwards, allowing the violation to continue,” he observed.

He said the police remain fully committed to protecting lives on the road through continuous and routine enforcement, with the aim of eliminating dangerous practices that put road users at risk.

Kananura emphasised that road safety is a shared responsibility.

The practice is particularly common in western Uganda and the Bunyoro region, where saloon cars are often used as taxis.

According to the Annual Police Crime Report released last week, police registered 322,441 cases in 2025, down from 426,432 in 2024, marking a 24.4 per cent decrease.

However, the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety recorded 26,044 crashes, of which 4,602 were fatal, 13,563 serious, and 7,879 minor. Road traffic crashes increased by 3.7 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024.

Serious crashes rose by 3.3 per cent from 13,134 in 2024 to 13,563 in 2025, fatal crashes increased by 3.8 per cent from 4,434 to 4,602, while minor crashes went up by 4.5 per cent from 7,539 to 7,879.