Driving in Uganda – Speed limits on Ugandan Roads
As a local company that offers Self drive itinerary and road trips to Uganda has learnt of the new rules and regulations regarding the operation of the cars on the road that has come with heavy penalty to regulate the road users and Self Drive Uganda limited do write to warn the clients ( Self Drive travelers) on how to avoid to be on the wrong side of the law.
The Uganda Police has issued a fresh warning to all road users, reminding them that ignorance of traffic laws is no defence if caught speeding. This comes as enforcement of the Traffic and Road Safety (Prescription of Speed Limits) Regulations, 2024 gets underway.
Faridah Nampiima, the Public Relations Officer for the Police Traffic Directorate, shared the updated speed limits and urged drivers to slow down and stay informed.
“Ignorance of the law is no excuse derived from the latin maxism ( Ignorantia juris non excusat) and Self drive Uganda has been advising travelers regarding the speed limit in the Ugandan National Parks during the game drive as stating it that Animals have a right of Way so take a note that this has been extended further to cover market places , School Zones and Hospitals even Busy areas , always stay warned not to speed otherwise you may be fined heavily which Self drive Uganda will charge you for breach of the traffic rules and regulations as passed in 2024.
Speed limits in Various Uganda Zones
- urban roads is now 30km/h, while highways passing through urban areas have a cap of 30km/h for both vehicles and motorcycles.
- For paved roads, speed limits range between 30km/h and 80km/h, depending on vehicle classification,
- On gravel roads, vehicles are restricted to 30km/h to 60km/h.
- Community access roads now carry a blanket speed limit of 30km/h for all vehicle types.
- Expressways and dual carriageways have limits ranging from 40km/h to 100km/h, again depending on the type of vehicle.
- The speed limit in Uganda national park remains 40km/hr and animals have a right of way
According to the Various Self drive Uganda team.
We do strongly advise our self drive travelers to be careful on Self drive safaris while in East Africa and avoid being fined.
Once a vehicle is flagged, a ticket is automatically generated and sent to the vehicle owner via email or SMS, who has 72 hours to pay or face a 50 percent surcharge, we shall do alert the driver or renter to make payment for us to clear this ticket and if the renter fails , then he will be charged 50 % surcharge as per the provisions of the Law. The purpose of this article is to warn you be more careful when on Self drive adventures in East Africa. As per the law it provides for the drivers with pending tickets are barred from renewing their driving licenses or leaving the country if your a foreigner.
Penalty and Fines for over Speeding – Breach of Speed limit Law
“A person who contravenes any provision in the regulation commits an offence and can be held liable upon conviction by courts of law.
Recommended from Self Drive East Africa
Adhere to speed limits.
It is very important to observe the speed limits while driving in Uganda because over speeding is the number one cause of road accidents in Uganda and once caught you are charged with a premium fine or go to prison.
The speed limit in Uganda is 80km/hr along the highways, areas with settlements or urban setting drive speed is 30km/hr, the national parks and other protected areas the speed limit is 40km/hr. These are the common speed limits in Uganda, however there are some other special cases where you will need to drive in accordance to the speed indicated on the road sign posts.
