Addressing a press conference in Kampala on Friday, ROSACU Chairperson Fred Tumwiine said Uganda must urgently professionalise passenger transport to curb preventable road deaths.
“We call upon the Ministry of Works and Transport, working with the Uganda Police Force, transport operators, driver associations and recognised training institutions, to establish a structured national Continuous Professional Development programme for commercial passenger drivers,” Tumwiine said.
He also urged the government to make post-licensing training and periodic competency assessments mandatory for drivers, particularly those transporting schoolchildren.
“Continued authorisation to practise should be tied to approved continuous professional development and competency reassessment, with certification renewed annually where feasible,” he said.
ROSACU further proposed a specialised licensing and certification regime for vehicles transporting schoolchildren, covering roadworthiness, passenger capacity, safety equipment, adult supervision and emergency preparedness.
The coalition’s proposals come as road fatalities continue to rise.
According to ROSACU, 5,383 people died in road crashes in 2025, compared to 5,144 in 2024, 4,806 in 2023 and 4,534 in 2022, representing an average of 15 deaths every day.
Tumwiine said the figures demonstrate that Uganda is facing a sustained road safety crisis.
“Road safety is therefore not only a transport issue. It is a public health, economic development and family welfare issue and, above all, a matter of protecting life,” he said.
The coalition also noted that 44.5 per cent of crashes recorded in 2024 were linked to speeding and careless overtaking, while road crashes cost the country an estimated five per cent of its Gross Domestic Product annually through lost productivity, medical treatment, disability and property damage.
Regional referral hospitals, it added, spend more than Shs315.72 billion every year treating road crash victims.
ROSACU urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to fast-track the implementation of the revised Speed Limits Regulations and publish a clear roadmap for enforcement.
“Effective speed management requires three elements working together—enforcement, education and engineering,” Tumwiine said.
He called for increased funding for traffic enforcement, driver training, vehicle inspections, road safety audits, ambulance services, trauma care and public awareness campaigns.
“Funding for road safety should not be viewed only as expenditure. It is an investment in life, public health, household welfare, productivity and national development,” he said.
The coalition also appealed for the establishment of a multisectoral road safety coordination mechanism under the Office of the Prime Minister to harmonise the work of ministries, security agencies and local governments in implementing road safety interventions.
Tumwiine said reducing road crashes would require collective action from government, transport operators, schools, professional drivers, civil society and the public.
“Together, through partnership, professionalisation and collective action, we can reduce preventable deaths, protect livelihoods and make Uganda’s roads safer for everyone,” he said.