Police have named the roads where the biggest number of drunk drivers in Kampala are found.
"The traffic directorate has identified high risk roads where most accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol occur. We have therefore decided to intensify operations targeting drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol," traffic police spokesperson, Michael Kananura said on Friday.
He named Ggaba Road, Jinja Road, Kiira Rd, Entebbe Road, Kampala -Entebbe Express Way, Northern by pass and some streets in the Central Business District (CBD).
According to police, they have launched large scale operations, especially in the Kampala Metropolitan Area and all highways and major roads in the country, to among others target drunk drivers.
"In these operations we have added a component of taking biometrics (fingerprints) so as to have a profile (database) of drivers who will have been found to be driving motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol. This database will subsequently be integrated with that of INTERPOL ,"Kananura said.
According to Superintendent of Police, Pamela Kentaro, the traffic and road safety directorate legal officer, section 111 of the Traffic and Road Safety Amendment Act 2020, driving with blood alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit is an offence.
She noted that the Traffic and Road Safety(Prohibited Drugs and Alcohol Limit) Regulations 2023 provides for both prescribed blood alcohol levels and prescribed breath alcohol levels.
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"Regulation 3 provides that the prescribed blood alcohol level a driver of a vehicle other than a public service vehicle or ambulance is 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood while that of a driver of a public service vehicle or ambulance is 20 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of blood. Regulation 4 provides that the prescribed breath alcohol level for a driver of a vehicle other than a PSV or ambulance is 25 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of blood while that of a driver of a PSV or ambulance is 10 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath," Kentaro said.
She said that section 111 (1) of the Traffic and Road Safety Amendment Act 2020 provides that a person who contravenes this law is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ssh6 million or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.
"At the discretion of the overall commander, the offender can be issued with an express penalty scheme of shs200,000."
