In a bid to improve traffic offense management and road safety, the Ministry of Works and Transport is introducing an automated traffic violation tracking system.
At the core of this initiative is the new Electronic Payment System (EPS Auto)—a feature of the broader Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS)—which is designed to curb reckless driving.
“This smart system, powered by ITMS, automatically detects traffic violations such as speeding or running red lights, and instantly sends a fine notification to the offender’s mobile phone,” said Allan Ssempebwa, Communications Officer at the ministry.
This innovation eliminates the need for traffic police to physically stop or chase down offending drivers.
Following the completion of the system’s design and development, the Ministry has begun conducting community awareness campaigns. Full implementation and enforcement of EPS Auto is set to begin on April 23, 2025.
The system will automate penalties for common traffic offenses, including speeding, red-light violations, wrongful overtaking, and lane indiscipline.
While the Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) has been in place for over 20 years, its effectiveness in reducing road accidents remains questionable, despite its contributions to government revenue.
EPS was introduced under Section 165 of the Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998, to manage minor traffic offenses. The Traffic and Road Safety (Express Penalty Scheme for Road Traffic Offenders) Regulations, 2004, were later enacted to operationalize the scheme with the goal of improving road discipline and reducing accidents.
Under the EPS, minor traffic offenders are issued a ticket or voucher indicating the payable fine. The matter is typically resolved on the spot unless the offender contests the fine, in which case the matter is taken to court.
Failure to pay the fine within 28 days incurs a 50 percent surcharge on the original penalty.
Offenses covered by EPS include:
- Speeding
- Disregarding traffic signals
- Overtaking in prohibited zones
- Driving against the flow of traffic
EPS Auto is expected to enhance management of the scheme by reducing:
- Incidences of motorists fleeing after being flagged down
- Corruption
- Theft of collected penalties
In 2022, it was reported that UGX 3.4 billion was stolen by traffic police personnel who allegedly deleted offenses after receiving payments and submitted underreported returns.
The EPS ticket system uses 25 codes corresponding to different traffic offenses, with fines ranging from UGX 20,000 to UGX 200,000. Once a fine is paid, it is reflected in both the EPS and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) systems—an integration that has helped uncover fraudulent practices.
This development comes alongside the government’s rollout of digital vehicle registration number plates under ITMS.
Ssempebwa assured the public that EPS Auto will apply to both digital and existing number plates:
“The Auto EPS system works for both new and old plates. The monitoring system relies on road-mounted cameras to track violations.”
According to the 2024 Police Annual Crime Report, Uganda recorded 5,144 road crash deaths, a staggering 81 percent increase from the 2,845 deaths reported in 2014.
In 2022, the EPS generated UGX 33 billion in penalties—demonstrating both its revenue potential and the need for improved transparency and enforcement through digitization.