The government has halted the operations of the Jaguar Bus Company due to reckless driving.
The Jaguar buses ply the Kampala, Rwanda route.
The Minister of State for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, stated that the suspension of bus operations was a direct consequence of a recent tragic event caused by reckless driving.
The unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of eight lives on September 1, 2024, in Bugonzi, along the Masaka-Kampala road.
Byamukama highlighted the ministry’s legal obligation to regulate the movement of individuals and vehicles on the roads. As a result, the ministry has opted to suspend all Jaquar bus services in Uganda for ten days, starting at 6:00 am on September 13th, 2024.
He announced the move during a press conference at his office in Kampala at the Ministry of Works and Transport headquarters in Kampala on Thursday.
Byamukama also noted that it has become routine for accidents to occur, leading to investigations and charges against those at fault, only for the issues to end there.
He noted that such serious accidents require comprehensive investigations, and if negligence is found on the part of the bus owner or driver, appropriate measures will be taken.
“After investigations and the final report, we met with the Jaguar owners and the driver. We decided to suspend their services because, as the government, it is our mandate to ensure that life goes on peacefully and people live longer,” Byamukama noted
“We don’t expect Jaguar buses on the road, even at the border points,” he added.
Byamukama noted that during the suspension period, the ministry has asked the bus company to submit a list of all drivers along with their appointment letters for verification, provide a schedule for refresher driving training for all bus drivers, and make all buses available for inspection by the joint team from the Uganda Police and the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Jaquar Bus Company is not the first company to face suspension; in 2022, Link Buses were suspended over reckless driving that claimed over 20 lives on the Fort Portal-Kyenjojo road.
