Police in Moroto District has raised 15.9 million shillings in the operation against defaulters of the Express Penalty Scheme payment.
On Monday, the police embarked on a traffic enforcement operation against the defaulters.
EPS tickets were introduced in 2014 under section 165 of the Traffic and Road Safety Act,1998 to decongest courts, and once issued they are to be paid within 28 days. The fines vary depending on the traffic offense and can range from 20,000 up to 200,000 Shillings.
According to the Police Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, the defaulters have caused a financial loss of government revenue of close to 8 billion shillings.
Michael Longole, the Mt Moroto regional police spokesperson said that during the operation 58 vehicles were impounded. Longole says that the traffic officers ensured that all the defaulters were tasked to clear their dues.
“We got a communication from traffic headquarters that the vehicles which have not paid the EPS should be impounded and charged and we are already implementing it’’ he reiterated.
He urged the motorists to carefully read the tickets issued to them, follow instructions and make sure they pay tickets in time.
Longole says they have machines that detect the vehicles which have not cleared and the exercise runs for one week.
David Ouma, one of the taxi drivers, says he is disappointed with the decision to impound their vehicles without prior warning.
“We are just making losses, fuel prices are high, the boss is demanding his part, so in the end, I work for nothing’’ he lamented.
