The Ministry of Works and Transport has suspended YY Coaches for 15 days following two serious road crashes, including one in which three passengers were killed and the bus caught fire along the Mukono–Katosi–Jinja highway.
In a May 12, 2025 letter, the State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama, said the company had failed to control the conduct of its drivers and exhibited “managerial concerns” after preliminary findings pointed to reckless driving in both incidents.
“These two crashes point to recklessness by your drivers on the road and failure to control the conduct of your drivers, among other managerial concerns,” the minister wrote in the letter addressed to the Managing Director of YY Coaches.
The fatal crash occurred on May 5 when a bus, registration number UAV 701C, overturned and burst into flames at Najja village in Buikwe District.
Police confirmed that three people died on the spot and blamed the crash on the driver, who remains on the run.
A second YY bus, registration number UAX 852F, also crashed at Ayango on the Pakwach–Arua highway while heading to Yumbe.
According to police, the driver was attempting to overtake another vehicle when he lost control, leading to a serious accident.
The ministry said the company’s entire fleet would be grounded from 7pm on Tuesday, May 13, to allow investigations into the two incidents.
During this time, the company is required to present all its buses for joint inspection with the Uganda Police and provide documentation for all its drivers, including evidence of recent refresher training.
The ministry also ordered YY Coaches to present the drivers involved in the two crashes and issue a public statement explaining what happened and what measures they are putting in place to prevent recurrence.
The suspension affects several major long-distance routes.
YY Coaches operates widely across eastern, northern, and northwestern Uganda, with buses running from Kampala to Arua, Yumbe, Gulu, Kitgum, Lira, Moroto, Kaabong, Mbale, Soroti, Busia, Malaba, and Kotido.
The company also serves cross-border destinations such as Nimule and Juba in South Sudan.
It is particularly dominant on the Arua and Karamoja corridors and is known for transporting both passengers and cargo, often through night and early-morning journeys.
This 15-day ban marks yet another clash with regulators over safety issues.
In August 2019, the company voluntarily halted operations after a series of crashes killed 14 people in two weeks.
It convened a crisis meeting with its staff and pledged to improve internal controls.
In August 2020, police again intervened after three crashes in one week, ordering fresh driving tests for all its drivers before allowing the company to resume service.
Earlier, in 2017, thirteen of the company’s buses were impounded in Jinja after the Transport Licensing Board found it had failed to comply with a mandatory digital route monitoring system.
Despite its troubled safety record, YY Coaches remains one of Uganda’s busiest long-distance bus operators.
Authorities say the latest move is aimed at protecting lives and compelling the company to take its safety obligations seriously.
As of Monday night, the company had not issued any official response to the suspension.