Boda-boda operators have asked Parliament to intervene in delays and costs associated with Uganda’s digital number plate system, saying the rollout is grounding motorcycles and cutting into riders’ daily earnings.
Frank Mawejje, chairman of the Alliance Transport & Allied Workers Cooperative Union, told Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure, chaired by Mwine Mpaka, that some motorists who had paid for digital number plates were waiting for months, with some cases extending beyond a year.
Mawejje attributed the delays to slow verification processes and system downtime, saying they were affecting both individual riders and businesses involved in motorcycle financing.
“Some motorists have paid for the digital plates but have waited for months, and in some cases more than a year, without getting their plates,” Mawejje told the committee.
He said newly imported motorcycles were also being held in bonded warehouses because they could not be released without digital number plates.
The delays, he said, were preventing riders who had bought motorcycles from starting work while importers and financiers continued to incur costs on assets that were not generating income.
For boda-boda riders who depend on daily earnings, the disruption can quickly translate into loss of household income and difficulties in servicing loans.
Operators estimate that a rider can earn between Shs20,000 and Shs40,000 a day. When a motorcycle is grounded for weeks or months, the rider loses the income needed to meet daily expenses and repay loans.
Mawejje said riders who acquire motorcycles on credit were particularly vulnerable because their repayment obligations continued even when the motorcycles could not be used.
He said prolonged delays could expose some riders to loan default and possible repossession of their motorcycles.
The operators also questioned the cost of acquiring digital number plates, which they put at Shs714,000, saying the amount was high for riders whose incomes are largely dependent on daily operations.
The cost, they said, is compounded by other expenses, including replacement fees, penalties for late registration, stationery and transport to installation centres.
Replacement backlog
Mawejje said riders who lose or damage their number plates face another challenge, with some paying for replacement plates but waiting months to receive them.
Such delays, he said, can leave riders unable to operate, further worsening their financial difficulties.
The operators also want government to improve sensitisation, saying many riders remain unclear about how the digital tracking system works, what information is collected, penalties for non-compliance and procedures for replacing old or damaged plates.
Mawejje said some cases of non-compliance should not automatically be interpreted as deliberate defiance because operators may simply lack adequate information about the system.
The operators have also raised concerns about privacy, particularly regarding the tracking of motorists and the handling of personal data.
They want government to explain what data is collected, who can access it, how long it is stored and what safeguards are in place to prevent abuse.
What operators want
Mawejje and other operators want government to establish clear timelines for registration, issuance and replacement of digital plates.
They propose that applications should be processed within seven to 14 days and that authorities should publish information on the number of pending applications, progress on the backlog and expected completion dates.
They also want more installation centres established across divisions and municipalities, alongside mobile registration units to serve motorists in busy areas and rural districts.
Replacement plates for riders who have already paid should, they argue, be prioritised where delays have prevented them from working.
On the cost of compliance, the operators are calling for subsidies for low-income public transport operators, particularly those operating through cooperatives and unions.
They also want riders to be allowed to pay for digital plates in instalments through SACCOs and cooperatives, while government considers financing arrangements for motorcycle buyers affected by registration delays.
The operators further want temporary permits issued to riders whose motorcycles have been grounded because of administrative delays.
They have also called for penalties to be waived where failure to comply results from system failures or registration backlogs.
Accountability
The operators want government to work more closely with boda-boda unions, cooperatives and SACCOs in implementing the digital number plate system.
They propose cooperative-led registration drives and the use of SACCOs as payment channels for phased acquisition and replacement of plates.
They also want joint monitoring committees to track implementation and resolve complaints.
At installation centres, they want dedicated customer service desks, a ticketing system for complaints and clear channels through which unresolved cases can be escalated.
The operators also want contractors responsible for the system to be held to clear performance standards to ensure plates are issued within agreed timelines.
While supporting the potential security and enforcement benefits of digital number plates, the operators say the system should be implemented in a way that does not undermine the livelihoods of people who depend on motorcycles for their income.
Mawejje called for faster processing, lower compliance costs, better public sensitisation, stronger privacy safeguards and consistent enforcement, arguing that successful modernisation of the transport sector requires government to work closely with the operators affected by the system.
