A commuter taxi on one of Uganda's roads.
Traffic police have highlighted the need for road users to observe speed limits as they use the roads.
Young businessman Rajiv Ruparelia died in a crash on the Southern Expressway on Saturday morning. He was driving a fast car, a Nissan GTR. Its speed limit reportedly goes beyond 320 km/hr. Although it is not clear the exact speed the rally driver was on, Faridah Nampiima, the former traffic police spokesperson, says that “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
According to Nampiima, the maximum speed limit for urban roads in Uganda is 30 km/hr. Secondly, she added that the maximum speed limit for highways traversing urban areas is 50 km/hr (both vehicles and motorcycles).
The maximum speed limit for paved roads ranges from 30 to 90 km/hr for classified types of vehicles and 60 km/hr for motorcycles, adds Nampiima. The maximum speed limit for gravel roads ranges from 30 to 60 km/hr for classified types of vehicles and 30 km/hr for motorcycles.
She adds that the maximum speed limit for community access roads is 30 km/hr for all vehicle types.
According to Nampiima, the maximum speed limits on expressways and dual carriageways in Uganda range from 40 to 100 km/hr for classified types of vehicles.
“As drivers and road users, we should note that the maximum speed limit means that set speed limit on the different categories of roads in Uganda. As per the Traffic and Road safety (prescription of speed limits ) regulations 2024,” Nampiima warned. “A person who contravenes any provision in the above regulation commits an offense on the road, and he or she can be held liable on conviction. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility. Slowing down on roads significantly reduces the severity of accidents and saves lives.”
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