The Ministry of Works and Transport is set to begin implementing the Demerit Points System, a licence-based penalty framework under which drivers will accumulate points for traffic offences, with repeat offenders facing suspension of their driving privileges.
The system is provided for under the Traffic and Road Safety (Demerit Points System) Regulations, 2023, made under the Traffic and Road Safety Act.
Its rollout forms part of a broader package of road safety reforms being implemented by the Ministry. Other measures include mandatory mechanical inspections for commercial vehicles and biometric monitoring of public service vehicle drivers to track their journeys, working hours and rest periods.
According to Sarah Kataike, spokesperson for the Ministry of Works and Transport, a driver convicted of a scheduled traffic offence will have demerit points recorded against their driving licence.
“Accumulation of points to a prescribed threshold will result in suspension of the licence, in addition to any fine imposed for the offence,” Kataike said.
The Ministry plans to roll out the system in the last quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.
The measure comes amid a sustained rise in road traffic crashes and fatalities in Uganda.
According to police statistics, the country recorded 26,044 road crashes in 2025, up from 25,107 in 2024, resulting in more than 5,300 deaths.
More than half of those killed were below the age of 35, while men accounted for 83 percent of road fatalities.
Police attribute more than 40 percent of road crashes to reckless driving, including speeding, dangerous overtaking and tailgating.
The Ministry has developed the accompanying regulations in consultation with key stakeholders, including the Uganda Police Force, driving schools and transport operators.
Kataike said further guidance on the scheduled offences, points allocation and administrative procedures would be communicated as implementation progresses.
She urged members of the public and driving licence holders to comply with traffic laws to avoid penalties under the new system.
