KAMPALA, Uganda — The Government has announced sweeping new safety measures for school transport, including introducing a uniform colour for all vehicles transporting learners and requiring drivers to obtain special government clearance before operating.
The reforms, announced by the Minister of State for Transport, Julius Maganda Wandera, are part of a broader effort to improve the safety and identification of school transport vehicles across the country following recent concerns over road safety involving learners.
Speaking on the new measures, Wandera said all vehicles used for the mass transportation of learners will be required to adopt a standard colour to make them easily identifiable on the road.
“The ministry will come up with a uniform colour for all school vehicles,” the minister said.
According to the Ministry of Works and Transport, the standardised colour is intended to improve the visibility of school vehicles and alert other road users to exercise greater caution around children being transported. Internationally, yellow is widely recognised as the standard colour for school buses because of its high visibility, although the ministry has yet to formally announce the colour that will be adopted in Uganda.
The government also announced stricter requirements for school transport drivers.
Under the new rules, all drivers transporting learners will be required to obtain clearance from the Ministry of Works and Transport and carry special government-issued identification badges while on duty.
“All drivers of vehicles which will be carrying learners in mass form will be cleared by the Ministry of Works and Transport and such drivers will possess government badges. Anybody who will be found moving learners in any form and does not have clearance or a badge from the Ministry of Works and Transport will be apprehended,” Wandera said.
The reforms are part of a wider package of school transport safety measures introduced by government following the fatal King David Junior School bus crash in Kapchorwa, which claimed the lives of several pupils and teachers.
In addition to the new identification requirements, government has suspended school trips and study tours involving road transport until further notice, ordered mandatory inspections of school transport vehicles and established an inter-ministerial committee to review school transport regulations.
The proposed colour scheme will apply to all institutions transporting learners, including nursery schools, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, universities and other educational institutions operating school transport services.
Government says the reforms are intended to strengthen oversight of school transport, improve enforcement and reduce the risk of road crashes involving learners as schools prepare for future academic activities.
