Police has directed funeral homes to remove sirens from all their vehicles . The funeral homes have been given a grace period, not exceeding this month, to voluntarily uninstall the sirens.
According Assistant Commissioner of Police Charles Ssebambulidde, funeral homes vehicles cause confusion with that of the emergency vehicles. Police says their service of transporting the dead is not an emergency, and as such, does not allow them a right of way.
“Yes, we honor the dead and transport them decently, but transportation of a dead person is not an emergency. An emergency is all about saving life. They don’t have right of way and drivers at all times must drive within the rules and regulations of traffic,” Ssebambulidde said.
Earlier this year, Police conducted an operation where it impounded vehicles fitted with sirens and strobe lights without authorisation.
Uganda’s constitution allows only the President, his deputy and those used by the forces, ambulances, motor vehicles of armed forces and others that may be chosen by the minister by statutory order to make use of sirens and strobe lights to make their way through traffic.