Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
- 1,157
- 590
The United Bus Drivers Association (UBDA) has announced a temporary withdrawal of bus driving services across Uganda beginning Monday, October 12, 2026, in protest against what it describes as burdensome driver badge renewal requirements and associated costs.
In a formal public notice issued to the Uganda Bus Owners Association (UBOA), the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, and the general public, the association said its members had resolved to park their buses as a collective form of peaceful industrial action.
According to UBDA, the decision follows long-standing concerns over the financial and administrative demands placed on professional bus drivers, particularly regarding the validity, renewal, and refresher training requirements linked to driver badges.
The association said it recognizes the government's responsibility to regulate public transport and promote road safety but believes the current system has become increasingly expensive and difficult for drivers to sustain.
"UBDA has repeatedly raised the concern that the current arrangement places a significant financial burden on drivers whose salaries do not adequately support recurring annual costs," the notice states.
The drivers' body maintains that while road safety training remains important, the process should be practical, affordable, and developed in consultation with the professionals who operate on Uganda's roads daily.
Following consultations among members, UBDA resolved that all members would temporarily stop providing bus driving services starting October 12 until their grievances receive what the association terms "meaningful engagement and resolution."
The association said the advance notice is intended to allow bus owners, government agencies, passengers, and the wider public sufficient time to prepare for possible disruptions in public transport services.
Should the industrial action proceed as planned, thousands of travelers who rely on intercity and long-distance bus transport could face inconvenience, especially as the country enters a busy travel period.
UBDA has called upon the relevant authorities and stakeholders to engage with the association and address the concerns raised in order to avoid prolonged disruption to the passenger transport sector.
