THE Government digital motor vehicles number plates project is taking root with the contractor now setting up a factory to locally produce the plates as a way of quickly delivering the project.
The minister for Security Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi this week revealed that the implementation of the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) project was on course and the contractor was setting up a factory in Kawempe, Kampala to hasten the project.
“As plans for the establishment of the factory materialize, the service provider, as guided by the government, has set up a facility at Kawempe for local production of registration number plates,” he said.
The contractor, he said, had installed four hot stamping machines, four embossment machines, and will soon receive blank plates and hot stamping materials with security features.
Muhwezi flanked by the Works and Transport minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala and technical staff from the two ministries, was addressing the media on the implementation of the project, initiated about three years ago.
The Government of Uganda in 2021 signed an agreement, partnering with Russian Joint Stock Company “Global Security”, to deliver the ITMS. The project is intended to ease recognition of vehicles used by criminals to carry out crimes in the country to enable quick and timely response by the Security Agencies.
It is also aimed at facilitating traffic management and enhance revenue collection through the issuance of traffic tickets to traffic offenders
The minister explained that management and administration of motor vehicles had over the years faced challenges such as lack of credible and reliable database, poor quality control measures, lack of technical staff in the motor vehicle processes, distorted reporting structures, low revenue collection and discrepancies in registration books.
The Implementation of the ITMS project has several components including issuance of digital registration plates. “It’s important to note that a full installation kit comprises; Two aluminum Registration plates for the front and the back, a Tracker, a Sim-chip, two Bluetooth beacons for front and back and Snap locks for both front and back,” he said.
The new solution provides for tracking of all vehicles in real-time on the ITMS Platform at the Police Command Centers of Naguru and Nateete to allow the Government of Uganda to trace and resolve vehicle criminals/traffic offenders as and when required.
The Works Minister, Katumba Wamala noted that the motor vehicle ownership in Uganda had risen to two million one hundred and forty five thousand, nine hundred and eighty eight. (2,145,988M) vehicles as of 3rd July 2024.
This growth he said had been coupled with an increase in associated challenges such as crime involving the use of motor vehicles, road traffic accidents, multiple number plates and forgeries.
He observed that tracking down criminals and bringing traffic offenders to justice had substantially been bogged down due to lack of sufficient evidence regarding motor vehicles used to execute these crimes.
Similarly, the management and administration of motor vehicles has over the years faced challenges of lack of a credible and reliable database, poor quality control measures, lack of technical staff in the motor vehicle processes, distorted reporting structures, low revenue collection and discrepancies in registration books.
He said despite various interventions, these problems persist. “While some of these challenges have been mitigated with system improvement, many are expected to be addressed through the implementation of the ITMS,” he observed.
Initially the roll-out of the project was set for 1st March, 2024, but it was postponed to 1st July, 2024, due to logistical challenges.
Towards the roll out date of the project on 1st July, 2023, the business community petitioned Parliament to halt the exercise citing lack of enough public sensitization and readiness of the public, and also proposed that the exercise begin with fitment of registration plates on government vehicles.
The minister said given the above, coupled with logistical issues on the side of the service provider, partly caused by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, an extension was made to 01st November 2023, starting with the fitting of new registration plates to Government Vehicles.
By 26th June 2024, a total of one thousand and ninety-one (1091) vehicles from various ministries had been fitted with the new registration plates falling short of the required numbers due to persistent logistical challenges which are slowly being resolved. Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are estimated to have over 25,200 motor vehicles.
Currently at the facility, he said, are one hundred seven thousand, and fourteen (107,014) registration plates along with three thousand six hundred sixty-two trackers (3,662), and seventeen thousand six hundred seventy-nine (17,679) BLE beacons, with more components expected in the country in the next few weeks.
The Security Minister, Muhwezi said the motor vehicle registration system on ITMS which includes the booking system, the verification system and the stock control system is substantially completed.
While the improvements on the ASYCUDA and E-Tax to facilitate the pre- registration processes of vehicles at the ports of Mombasa and Dar es salaam and in bonds are also substantially completed.
The provision to facilitate assessment for payment of fees for the new registration plates by Government entities is also completed and is currently available for use by MDAs.
He said Construction of fitment centers at Mutukula and Malaba border points was ongoing.
The Minister said, as government and the service provider conclude putting in place all the requirements for massive roll-out, the process would continue in phases as; On1st November 2024 government will start issuing registration plates to new motorcycles and on 6th January, 2025, full roll-out of all categories of vehicles and motorcycles will start.
The new registration fees for vehicles will be Ugx 714,300, while replacement of old registration plates will cost Ugx 150,000 for vehicles and Ugx 50,000 for motorcycles.
Muhwezi explained that the government of Uganda has not put any money in the project, but that the contractor is using it own money over a period of 10 years and would recoup it money through charging for the plates installation.
According to Eng. Karim Kibuuka of the Ministry of Works, each vehicles will be fitted with the new regime of the registration plates embedded with a security chip and shall be synchronized during registration with a security device capable of indicating the real-time location of the vehicle.
Tampering with the electric device, and its functionality, he said is illegal and anyone found guilty of such offence is liable to a fine or imprisonment as prescribed by the law. He said in case of an accident or unintentional tampering, it should be reported to the Chief Licensing officer within 24 hours.
Members of the public initially contested the government move of digital registration plates, saying that it violated the rights to privacy.