By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA:
Police has directed funeral homes to remove sirens from all their vehicles . The funeral homes have been given a grace period, not exceeding this month, to voluntarily uninstall the sirens.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Charles Ssebambulidde, funeral homes vehicles cause confusion with that of the emergency vehicles.
Police says transporting the dead is not an emergency, and as such, does not allow funeral homes a right of way.
“Yes, we honor the dead and transport them decently, but transportation of a dead person is not an emergency. An emergency is all about saving life. They don’t have right of way and drivers at all times must drive within the rules and regulations of traffic,” Ssebambulidde said.
At the beginning of this year, Police conducted an operation where it impounded vehicles fitted with sirens and strobe lights without authorisation.
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The Kampala Metropolitan Police Traffic Commander, SSP Norman Musinga says emergency sirens are supposed to only be used by police, especially patrol vehicles, lead vehicles for Very Important Persons (VIPs), the presidential convoy and emergency vehicles and motorcycles such as ambulances and rescue vehicles like fire brigade trucks.
Among the people entitled to have cars with sirens in Uganda are the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, VIPs and some army officials.
What the law says….
Section 123 of The Traffic and Road Safety Act, 1998, provides that;
Emergency motor vehicles.
(1) Notwithstanding this Act and subject to this section, the driver of an authorised emergency motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant may, where the observance of this Act would be likely to hinder the use of an authorised emergency motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant for the purpose for which it is being used—
(a) park or stand in any place on a road, whether or not that place is a parking place;
(b) after slowing down, as may be necessary for safe operation,
proceed past a red or stop sign;
(c) exceed the prescribed speed limit, so long as he or she does not endanger life or property; or
(d) disregard any regulation governing direction of movement or turning in a specified direction.
(2) The exemption granted by this section to an authorised emergency motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant shall apply only when the driver of the motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant, while in motion, sounds an audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle, as may be reasonably necessary, or, if the motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant is equipped with the flashing beacon of a type prescribed by the Minister, is exhibiting a light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of one hundred and fifty metres to the front of the motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant.
(3) This section does not relieve the driver of an authorised emergency motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant from the duty to drive with due regard and care for the safety of persons or property, nor protect the driver from consequences of his or her disregard for the safety of such persons or property.
(4) Upon the immediate approach of an authorised emergency motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant, the driver of every other motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant shall, except when otherwise directed by a police officer in uniform, give the right of way, and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to and as close as possible to the left-hand edge of the curb of the roadway, clear of any intersection, and shall stop and remain in that position until the authorised emergency motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant has passed.
(5) For the purposes of this section, “authorised emergency motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle, trailer or engineering plant for the purposes of the police, fire brigade, ambulances, the military motor vehicles of the armed forces and such other motor vehicles, trailers or engineering plant as may be designated by the Minister in consultation with the chief licensing officer by statutory order.
(6) A person who fails to comply with this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of not less than fifteen currency points and not exceeding sixty currency points or imprisonment of not less than six months and not exceeding two years or both.
