Digital plates for private vehicles to be issued starting Monday

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Issuance of the digital registration plates for private and public motor vehicles is set to commence on Monday.

In November 2023, the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) Project was launched and Digital number plates were rolled out starting with government vehicles.

In November 2024, the system was rolled out for motorcycles and tricycles.

Implementation of the third phase of the ITMS project will now commence on Monday, with the issuance of the digital registration plates for private and public motor vehicles.

This comes three-and-a-half years since the government, represented by the Ministry of Security and the Ministry of Works and Transport, signed an agreement with M/S Joint Stock Company Global Security, to set up an Intelligent TransportMonitoring System (ITMS).

This also included the installation of new digital registration plates whose specific objective is to combat motor vehicle-related crime and reduce road carnage on our roads.

The first phase of the ITMS project commenced on November 1,  2023, with the issuance of digital registration plates for government vehicles, followed by the second phase on November 1, 2024, with the issuance of digital registration plates for motorcycles.

This targeted both first-time and post-registration services (for those replacing the old plates with the new ones.

The Implementation followed many contentious issues including privacy concerns and well as the high costs to be met by the vehicle owners.

The government settled for 713,000 Shillings for those newly registered vehicles, while those switching from the old to the new number plates will pay 150,000.

Motorcycle registration costs 50,000 Shillings.

The Ministry of Works and Transport says that the transition from the previous service providers, GM Tumpeco Ltd and Arnold Brooklyn and Company Ltd (ABC Ltd), to the new service provider, Joint Stock Company Global Security, for the third phase are ready.

The modalities for the transition will include GM Tumpeco and ABC Ltd continuing to process all orders for Motor Vehicle Registration plates received till the end of January 5, 2025.

A grace period of 30 days, beginning thereafter has been given to all motor vehicle dealers and motor vehicle owners to enable them to collect their plates from Spear Motors (GM Tumpeco) and ABC Ltd for orders received before January 6 2025.

The Ministry says in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Bageya Waiswa, that motor vehicle dealers and owners are encouraged to use this period to pick up their registration plates from the two suppliers.

According to Waiswa, all orders made after January 5, 2025, will be issued by the new service provider, JSCGS.

“Once the 30-day grace period elapses, motor vehicle dealers and owners will have to reapply for duplicate plates using the new regime of registration plates as per the Traffic and Road Safety (Registration Plates) Regulations2022 (As Amended),” he says.

The government says the tracking of vehicles is meant to easily trace vehicles that have been flagged for traffic offences or involvement in criminal activity.

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