TRANSPORT MINISTER TO DICTATE SPEED LIMITS ON ALL PUBLIC ROADS, BLACK SPOTS
President Museveni yesterday assented to the recently passed Traffic and Road Safety (ammendment) bill 2023 (now Act), which comes into effect today July 1 2023!
The enactment of this Act however, is likely to have many drivers jailed especially those who like speed as they will rot in jail for 3 years at worst besides paying a huge fine.
In the amended Act, the minister for works and transport has been given powers to regulate speed on public roads or sections of public roads (read black spots).
The bill (Act) repealed section 52 of the Road Act 2019 and also amended the Forth schedule of the Principal Act to clarify on taxes levied against (imported) old vehicles which are nine years old and more from the year of manufacture.
The new Act slaps a 50% environmental levy on ‘old’ vehicles popularly known as ‘My Cars’ and at the same time slaps a 20% similar tax on goods carrier vehicles that are nine years old or more from the year of manufacture.
“The principal Act is amended by inserting immediately after section
119, 119A, Speed limit” the new Act which starts biting today says.
Under this section 119A, three clauses have been put in place. Cause 1, says the minister may, by regulations, prescribe speed limits in respect of all public roads or sections of public roads.
Clause 2 under the same section adds that any other laws notwithstanding, the minister may issue a statutory order prescribing temporary maximum speed limits for motor vehicles, trailers or engineering plant of different classes or descriptions on any part of the road for a specific period as there in the order.
As for clause 3, it says ‘A person who fails to comply with a speed limit set by the minister commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceedng one hundred currency points or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.
Commenting on the matter, speaker of parliament Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among was all smiles for the president to have assented to the six bills.
“I thank H.E the President, colleague members of Parliament and the general public for the contributions in ensuring that parliament discharges it’s core functions of oversight, legislation and representation” she said shortly after the president assented to the bills into Acts. The other bills which were assented to included The Value Added Tax ammendment bill 2023, The Conventional and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax matters bill 2023, The Supplementary Appropriation bill 2023, The Appropriation bill 2023 and the Lotteries and Gaming ammendment bill 2023 which raised the gaming tax rate from 20% to 30%.
This new Act ammended The Lotteries and Gaming Act of 2016 schedule four wherein it revised the Rate of Tax from 20% to 30% of the total amount of money staked less the payouts or winning.
