MOTORING WITH SAFE DRIVE UG: SGS Screens 30,000 Vehicles, Gives Tips on how to avoid accidents

By Arinaitwe Rugyendo & Amon Baita

In a bold move to curb road accidents in the country, about 30,000 vehicles have been screened at four SGS Automotive Uganda stations with 78% of them passing the test, Red Pepper has learnt.

The Ministry of Works and Transport awarded SGS South Africa an exclusive contract to carry out vehicle inspections countrywide on its behalf in 2015, kicking off operations in November 2016 under SGS
Automotive Uganda Ltd.

The Country Manager, Mr. Christophe Dubois revealed in a press release yesterday that nearly Thirty Thousand vehicle inspections have taken place between four SGS stations since the mandatory exercise began in November 2016.

“The first vehicle inspection station was opened in Kawanda, the second fixed inspection station in Nabbingo on Masaka road, a third station in Namulanda on Entebbe road and a mobile inspection station for heavy vehicles, at Namboole Stadium parking lot,” said Mr. Dubois.

He added that under the SAFE DRIVE UGANDA campaign, 78% of the vehicles inspected have passed the inspection test that covers many things.

“The most critical ones to road safety are brakes, tyres, suspension, alignment, indicators, fuel/oil leakages, emissions and headlamps,” he said.

He observed that most of the failed inspections are due to faulty lighting and signaling, inadequate suspension, brakes and worn out tyres.

“Safe Drive Uganda urges drivers to carry out regular, simple checks on their vehicles in order for them to pass the vehicle inspection test and to avoid the accidents that defects cause,” he warned.

Mr. Dubois advised that Ugandan drivers who cherish a safe drive should regularly check that their brakes to ensure they work smoothly and that the tyres have the right size, headlights and other lights
work, windscreen wipers work, and that the driver’s view of the road is clear of any obstruction.

“Safe Drive Uganda” is a road safety measure intended to ascertain vehicle roadworthiness and reduce carnage on Ugandan roads. Under the umbrella Safe Drive Uganda, SGS carries out motor vehicle inspections in accordance with the procedure prescribed in the traffic and road safety (motor vehicle inspection) regulations, 2016 – under sections106(j) and 178 (2)(e) of the Traffic and Road Safety Act,
1998, Cap. 361.

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS conducts almost 44 million vehicle inspections worldwide for both emissions and road worthiness.

For more information on what makes SGS tick, visit:
www.safedriveuganda.sgs.com