Drivers to lose licence points over traffic offences as new system takes effect

• The demerit points system will start in the last quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

• Drivers convicted of scheduled traffic offences will lose points on their licences.

• Repeat offenders who reach the prescribed threshold will have their licences suspended.

• Uganda recorded 26,044 road crashes and more than 5,300 deaths in 2025.

Drivers convicted of traffic offences will start losing points on their driving licences under a new penalty system due to take effect before the end of the current financial year.

Repeat offenders who accumulate enough demerit points will have their licences suspended, on top of fines imposed for traffic offences.

The Ministry of Works and Transport says it will introduce the Demerit Points System in the last quarter of the 2026/27 financial year as part of measures to curb reckless driving and reduce deaths on Ugandan roads.

Susan Kakaite, the ministry’s head of communication, said the licence-based system will target drivers convicted of scheduled traffic offences.

“Under the system, a driver convicted of a scheduled traffic offence will have points deducted from their driving licence. Accumulation of points to a prescribed threshold will result in suspension of the licence, in addition to any fine imposed for the offence,” Kakaite said.

The system is provided for under the Traffic and Road Safety (Demerit Points System) Regulations, 2023, which were made under the Traffic and Road Safety Act.

The government has yet to disclose how many points each offence will attract or the threshold at which a licence will be suspended.

The ministry said it will issue further guidance on the offences covered, allocation of points and procedures before implementation.

The measure comes as Uganda struggles with a rise in road crashes and deaths.

The ministry said Uganda recorded 26,044 road crashes in 2025, up from 25,107 in 2024. More than 5,300 people died in the crashes.

More than half of those killed were below 35 years, while men accounted for 83 per cent of the fatalities.

Police attribute more than 40 per cent of road crashes to reckless driving. Common offences include speeding, dangerous overtaking and tailgating.

The demerit points system forms part of wider road safety reforms. The government also plans mandatory mechanical inspections for commercial vehicles.

It also intends to introduce biometric monitoring of public service vehicle drivers. The system will track their journeys, working hours and rest periods.

The ministry developed the regulations after consultations with the Uganda Police Force, driving schools and transport operators.

It urged motorists to obey traffic laws to avoid fines, demerit points and possible suspension of their licences.