Cars Impounded in Kampala Over Forged COVID19 Travel Stickers

Security forces have stormed Kampala streets in a massive operation to crack down on non-essential motorists using forged stickers to dodge restrictions on the movement of public and private vehicles as part of the measures against the spread of the corona virus in Uganda.

The Joint Task Force on Friday said it had “observed an increase in the flow of traffic  on major roads and high ways” with many motorists using fake stickers.

“The public should know that the restrictions announced by the President and the SOPs from the Ministry of Health were clear and permitted movement of vehicles under very essential and exceptional circumstances,” said Police spokesperson Fred Enanga on Friday.

ChimpReports understands hundreds of vehicles have been impounded by police after motorists failed to prove their stickers were genuine.

These stickers are issued out by the Ministry of Works and Transport.

NITA-U recently filed out a motor vehicle sticker verification system to aid Uganda Police Force and its sister agencies in enforcing the nation-wide lockdown by verifying that the motor vehicles moving are the ones that have been permitted by the Ministry of Works and Transport.

In the event that a vehicle sticker has been forged, when the number plate is crosschecked in the sticker verification system, the motor vehicle will be flagged as not authorized to move

Officials told this website that this process seems slow because of the thousands of unauthorized cars on the road.

The Joint Taskforce yesterday said enforcement teams shall be stepping up patrols along various routes and intensifying screening processes at all check points to counter all forms of movements that are not essential during this period.

“In addition, all motorists whose stickers are not linked to that particular category and those that are forged will be withdrawn and vehicles impounded. Those who fail to comply will definitely have their travel plans disrupted amidst other probable sanctions,” said Enanga.

The Operation shall continue for the next 18 days of the curfew and partial lockdown.

Police said they would handover all impounded motor vehicles once the partial lockdown is lifted.