BUIKWE – Police have intercepted 18 school buses transporting learners from educational trips after they were found travelling at night, in enforcement of the government’s newly announced safety directives following the deadly Kapchorwa school bus crash.
According to Traffic and Road Safety Directorate spokesperson Michael Kananura, the buses were stopped on Friday night at the Njeru checkpoint in Buikwe District after officers found them returning from academic tours in violation of the Ministry of Education and Sports’ directive suspending school trips and banning night travel for schools already on excursions.
Kananura said the buses were escorted to a secure parking area where they remained until daylight before being allowed to continue their journeys under police escort.
“We remind schools that are already on trips not to travel at night. They should instead report to the nearest police station for guidance and, where necessary, receive a police escort. All return journeys must be conducted between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.,” Kananura said.
He noted that the enforcement operation is aimed at protecting the lives of learners and preventing further road tragedies involving school children.
The crackdown follows Thursday’s fatal road accident along the Kapchorwa–Mbale Road at Kaserem, where a school bus carrying pupils of King David Junior School was involved in a crash that claimed the lives of more than 20 children.
In response to the tragedy, the Ministry of Education and Sports announced a series of emergency measures, including the suspension of school study tours and educational trips across the country.
Acting Minister of Education and Sports Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo also revealed that government will establish an inter-ministerial task force to develop comprehensive regulations aimed at improving the safety of learners during school trips and educational tours.
Authorities say the new measures are intended to strengthen compliance with road safety guidelines and prevent similar incidents in the future as investigations into the Kapchorwa crash continue.
