Govt Contractor Promise August Deadline To Clear Digital Number Plate Backlog
The story
The government and the private contractor managing Uganda’s digital number plate system have pledged to clear a growing backlog in vehicle registration services by the end of August, as delays continue to disrupt vehicle trade and fuel complaints from motorists and dealers.
The Ministry of Works and Transport says the backlog has strained the vehicle and motorcycle industry, slowed down imports, and created opportunities for exploitation in replacement and post-registration services.
Details
Speaking after a high-level meeting on the performance of the transport registration system, Minister of Works and Transport Fred Byamukama acknowledged that delays in issuing digital number plates had become a serious operational and economic challenge affecting both businesses and end users.
He said some motorcycle distribution companies that previously handled hundreds of units daily were now unable to release stock due to delays in registration. In some cases, dealers have already paid taxes to the Uganda Revenue Authority but cannot hand over vehicles to customers due to missing plates.
“The business environment is under pressure. People have paid money, but they cannot access number plates. Businesses are being affected,” Byamukama said.
The minister also highlighted pressure in the post-registration segment of the system, which handles replacement of lost, damaged, or voluntarily changed number plates. He said this category had become heavily congested and was contributing significantly to the backlog.
According to the ministry, the contractor is currently able to process about 2,500 post-registration applications per month, covering both motor vehicles and motorcycles. However, official data shows more than 47,000 pending applications in the system.
Byamukama said government is now considering emergency measures, including temporarily suspending voluntary number plate changes, in order to prioritize urgent cases and reduce pressure on the system.
Why it matters
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