Burning tyres on roads is now punishable with up to 5 years in jail or a fine of shs2.4 million or even both in new Roads Act 2019
Burning of tyres on roads is now prohibited in Uganda and punishable under the new Roads Act 2019 with up to 5years in jail or a fine of shs24 million or even both.
While addressing a press conference at the launch of the Roads Act 2019 yesterday, the State Minister for Works, Gen. Katumba Wamala indicated that as a ministry they took the decision to revise and redesign the old fashioned road laws including the Roads Act, cap 350 of 1949 and the Access to roads Act, cap 350 of 1969.
“They had become outdated and no longer effective in planning and maintenance of the road network. Over the years, there has been a tremendous increase in the size of the road network and traffic volumes. Also, innovative technologies have been introduced and implemented in the road sector while the institutional framework for road management has changed.”
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According to the new law, those who strike and take advantage of spoiling roads through burning tyres or other items on the road will be handled mercilessly.
Of recent, protesters and other groups of people including University students have made it a habit to burn tyres and rubbish on the roads while demonstrating.
In many suburban areas around Kampala, others have also been burning these tyres to mark and celebrate reaching the New Year, however, the State Minister for Works has warned that such incidents should stop as it poses extra costs to the government in terms of repairs.
Katumba who also said that the act affects the life span of roads indicated that most people here in Uganda complain about roads getting spoilt easily but they forget that they are the ones who use them inappropriately.
‘’Almost every demonstration, you see people burning tyres yet this affects the life span of the road. With the new law, the people arrested will not go scot-free. There is a penalty for it,” Katumba said.
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“The roads are so expensive to construct and we cannot allow people to spoil them. I call upon the public to familiarize with this law because it will affect their day to day usage of the road,’’ he added.
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What does the Roads Act 2019 say?
Under Section 63 of the new law, any person who places or burns on a public road, any substance that can cause damage the public road, bridge, ferry or pontoon commits an offence.
According to the law, upon conviction, the offender is liable to a fine not exceeding 120 currency points (shs2.4 million) or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.
The Roads Act 2019 also prohibits and criminalises destruction of pavements, spilling oil on public roads, causing water and sewage to spill onto public roads.
By John Dalton Kigozi
