KAMPALA — The Ministry of Works and Transport has defended the introduction of digital number plates, saying Uganda was running out of vehicle registration combinations as the number of vehicles on the roads continued to grow.Winston Katushabe, the ministry’s commissioner for transport regulation and safety, told Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee that the existing alphanumeric registration system was nearing its limits, making a new system necessary.Katushabe made the remarks as MPs scrutinised the Sh257 billion Intelligent Transport Monitoring System contract awarded to Joint Stock Global Security Ltd, amid questions about its procurement and implementation.He said the introduction of digital number plates was partly driven by the need to expand registration options and improve vehicle identification.“First of all, we had run out of alphabetic plates,” Katushabe told the committee, explaining that the growth in the number of vehicles had increased pressure on the existing registration system.He added that security concerns also informed the decision, particularly the need to strengthen vehicle tracking and address vehicle theft.According to Katushabe, President Yoweri Museveni directed that vehicle tracking be strengthened following an assassination attempt, prompting consideration of a system that could link vehicle registration plates to tracking technology.However, the project has come under parliamentary scrutiny, with officials raising concerns about aspects of its implementation and the involvement of security agencies in the procurement process.Former internal affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire told MPs that police participation in the process had been limited and questioned aspects of the technology and its compatibility with existing equipment.Otafiire said officers who participated in a due diligence exercise later reported concerns about their involvement in the negotiations and implementation arrangements.The committee is examining the circumstances surrounding the contract, the responsibilities of the different government agencies and whether the project was implemented in line with its intended objectives.The 10-year contract is expected to generate revenue through the sale of digital number plates and fines. Motorists pay Sh74,300 for a new set of number plates, while replacement plates cost Sh50,000 for motor vehicles and Sh30,000 for motorcycles.Joint Stock Global Security Ltd project manager Diam Hmkatumo dismissed claims of wrongdoing, saying the system had been operating in Uganda since 2019 and was used by police and security agencies.The parliamentary inquiry is expected to establish whether the project’s procurement and implementation met the required standards and whether the system delivers value for public money.The post Digital Number Plates Were Necessary, Says Works Ministry appeared first on The Insider.