The Office of the Prime Minister which heads the COVID-19 Taskforce has released resolutions agreed upon by Trade and Transport Ministries which will guide the movement of cross-border trucks and their drivers for a period of one months.
Truck drivers entering Uganda continuously being a threat to the local communities at a time Uganda is being seen as successful in curbing Coronavirus. In the recent past all the new infections have been reported as truck drivers mostly from Kenya and Tanzania.
The meeting which sat April 24 agreed as follows;
Have one driver per truck for all transit trucks. This will operate for the next four (4) weeks after which the relay system for drivers could be adopted. However, the Transporters who are ready are encouraged to effect the relay system for different countries.
All Truck drivers are required to strictly observe and follow the guidelines on recommended seclusion areas (night stop) along the cargo transit routes. These shall include;
All cargo inbound and outbound transit cargo trucks should follow the same journey management plan indicated above.
No diversions of cargo trucks off the designated routes.
All other previous stop points for cargo trucks (such as Tororo, Mbale, Lira, Kamdin corner town, Mbiko, Naluwerere, Lyantonde, Namawojolo,
Sanga, Ruti, Migeera, Karuma Pakwach junction, Luweero among others) are all declared illegal with immediate effect.
All Agencies including Ministry of Health (MoH) should operate 24 hours at Malaba, Mutukula and Busia Borders.
Reinforce border patrols and surveillance at all illegal entry points.
Freight Forwarders should work with the Ministry of Health on modalities for purchasing of Testing Kits.
Importers of dry cargo and fuel should consider using the railway transport for the imports and exports. Thy are encouraged to contact Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) for the arrangements.
Domestic trucks should have a maximum of two people (Only have one driver and the cargo owner/representative of the cargo owner).
Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to consider procuring of 5000 more e-seals for the regional cargo transiting through Uganda.
A Truck driver is required to have and use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitizers at all times.
The District COVID-19 Task Forces are to ensure that they secure the recommended night seclusion areas (night stop-over points) and also put in place arrangements for truck drivers to access food and other amenities following the guidelines put forward by the Ministry of Health.
Each Truck Driver will be required to carry a Health form which he should present at the seclusion points or at any time when required to do so.
In the case of a mechanical breakdown, the driver should report to the next police station and the transport company must ensure that the vehicle is cleared off the road within twenty-four (24Hrs).
In case of imported motor vehicles, they will be delivered at the Border, fumigated and picked by the drivers to deliver them to their destinations in the
hinterland
The operators of trucks which ply the hinterland mobilizing and transporting agricultural produce should report to the District Task Force which will guide them on how to manage their operations without violating the Ministry of Health guidelines.
