KAMPALA, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Ugandan law banning the importation of used vehicles manufactured 15 more years ago came into effect on Monday, the country's tax authority said.
No motor vehicle aged 15 years and above shall be allowed into the country as of Oct. 1, Dickson Kateshumba, Uganda Revenue Authority commissioner for customs, said in a statement.
"This includes motor vehicles that will be cleared through the port of Mombasa, Kenya, or Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, save for those where customs declaration will have been made and released by Sept. 30," Kateshumba said.
Vehicles that are already in Uganda or the east African region by Sept. 30 will be allowed up to three months to pay taxes and register.
"Duty-paid motor vehicles that are still within warehousing period will be relocated to a designated place within the bonded warehouse pending registration," Kateshumba said.
"Customs will auction any motor vehicles whose warehousing period will have expired," he said.
Ugandan lawmakers in May passed Traffic and Road Safety Bill 2018, banning the importation of motor vehicles older than 15 years, to reduce road accidents and carbon emissions.
The act exempts heavy vehicles such as breakdown lorries, crane lorries, road sweeper lorries, fire fighting vehicles, concrete mixer lorries, spraying lorries, mobile workshops and forklifts.
Armored vehicles, agricultural and forestry tractors are also exempted from the ban.
The law was to take effect on July 1, but car importers were given a three-month grace period.
