Minister stops collection of express penalty fees arrears from drivers

By Abubaker Kirunda.

The state minister for works and Transport Aggrey Bagiire has suspended the collection of the Express Penalty fees arrears from commuter taxi drivers.

This follows a sit down strike by taxi drivers in Busoga sub-region yesterday that paralysed transport for a day.

The drivers accuse police of impounding their vehicles for failing to pay express penalty arrears accumulated since 2015 alleging that there was an understanding with government to pardon them and only start paying on July 1^st.

Minister Bagiire while in a meeting with drivers to convince them to call off the strike, announced that the express penalty fees arrears collection had been halted for two weeks to allow time for negotiations.

The minister has also ordered the immediate transfer of the Busoga north regional traffic officer Dickson Tweheyo whom drivers accuse of harassing them while on the road.

Written by David Kugonza