Automated Traffic Fine System Halted for 1 Month – Katumba

The Ministry of Works and Transport has announced a one-month suspension of the newly introduced Automated Express Penalty System (EPS Auto) following widespread public outcry over errors, harsh fines, and a lack of sensitisation.

In a public statement released on Thursday, Hon. Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport, confirmed that the implementation of EPS Auto has been halted from June 12 to July 12, 2025, to allow time for government agencies to address critical gaps in the system and related regulations.

“The Ministry has found it necessary to immediately suspend the implementation… to enable the implementing agencies to address all the gaps,” the statement reads in part.

EPS Auto, part of Uganda’s Intelligent Transport Monitoring System, was rolled out to enforce the Traffic and Road Safety (Prescription of Speed Limits Regulations), 2025, aimed at curbing road violations through automated traffic enforcement.

However, according to the Ministry, a number of issues were flagged during a meeting held Tuesday with key stakeholders, including the Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators (UTOF), truck drivers’ representatives, and the Airport Taxi Drivers Association.

Key Concerns Raised:

System Errors: Complaints emerged about duplicated fines and wrongly recorded offences due to synchronisation errors between the EPS Auto and police databases.

Harsh Penalties: Drivers described speeding fines as excessively punitive, and the 72-hour window for payment as impractical.

Overbroad Speed Zones: The 30 km/h speed limit was reportedly applied too broadly in urban areas, instead of being limited to designated School, Market, Hospital, and Church zones.

Lack of Road Signage: The absence of visible speed limit signs on many roads, such as the Nkumba–Katabi section of Entebbe Road, left motorists unaware of permissible speeds.

Camera Misalignment: Concerns were also raised about speed cameras being installed in locations not aligned with posted speed signs.

Minister Katumba Wamala commended the public and transport operators for choosing dialogue over confrontation. “I appreciate the civil approach by the public transporters… in seeking dialogue with the Ministry to address their grievances instead of strikes and inciting violence. This is the right way to resolve differences,” he said.

During the suspension period, the Ministry will lead a government taskforce to verify disputed fines issued by the system, review and adjust the applicable regulations, conduct public sensitisation on the EPS Auto and its intent and continue consultations with affected stakeholders.

The Ministry urged all road users to continue observing traffic laws and prioritise safety while the system remains under review.

The EPS Auto was introduced to automate traffic law enforcement, reduce human interference, and improve road safety, but the swift rollout without sufficient public education and technical refinement appears to have backfired.

Minister Katumba reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that any digital enforcement system must be accurate, fair, and well-understood by the public before full-scale implementation.