If you are planning to visit Uganda and want to drive yourself, you might want to know Self Drive Restrictions In Uganda. In this article I will explain everything you need to know about the prohibitions when using a self drive car rental in Uganda. But first we need to deal with the basics.
What is Self-Drive and Why Restrictions.
The concept of Self drive is a car rental arrangement in which the renter intends to move to their destination while driving themselves in a rented car rather than hire a car with a driver. Self drive is a great way to cut on the costs of travel as you are able to cut out the fees involved with taking a driver.
Because the renter takes the car and drives it on their own, its a common procedure for the car rental agency to put some restrictions. These restrictions are intended to ensure fair usage of the rental car and avoid abuse. These prohibitions are normally laid down in the car rental agreement.
Major Self Drive Restrictions In Uganda
The following are the most common Restrictions while using a self drive rented car in Uganda.
Millage Restrictions.
Although we do not impose this restriction, some companies do have a daily millage restriction. This means that they set a maximum number of kilometers you may use the rented car. Generally this is to limit excessive use of the rented car which my end up breaking it down. Averagely the daily millage limit is about 600Kms per day.
Driving Time Restrictions
We as most of the car rental agencies operate a 6Am to 7Pm driving policy. This means that you are not allowed to operate a ranted car at night. Driving at night has specifically been associated with drink driving, careless driving and a cause for accidents. Most roads in Uganda are either poorly lite or have no light at all. This greatly reduces visibility and makes driving less safe.
Driver Change Restriction
When you rent a car in Uganda, the details of the person who will be driving are taken. Car rental companies demand that only the registered person should drive the car for the whole of the rental period. Renters are not allowed to ask a third party to drive them even if the third party possesses a valid driving permit. If you wish to drive in alternation you should register the second driver too with the rental company when taking the car or seek express permission before handing over the car.
Repair Restrictions
We know that even a well serviced car can break down! Nonetheless, renters are not allowed to repair their rental car without asking for permission from the agency. If your car breaks down during a self drive trip, urgently inform your roadside assistant. If the repairs are minor, they may allow you to fix them. In most cases, the roadside assistant will either call in a mechanic or ask you to drive to particular place where you can get helped. If the car is unusable, a replacement may be sent so that you continue with your trip.
Off-Road Driving Restrictions
While we know you are out in the wild to experience the wilderness, we have a zero tolorence to off road driving in any of our 2WD rentals and saloon cars. Additionally we request fair usage when driving off-road in any of the 4×4 rental cars.
Gas Station Restrictions.
Some companies have restrictions on gas stations from where you can buy fuel. Take for example, we demand that all saloon cars only use premium fuel from selected gas stations. This is particularly so because we observed a reduction in performance when cars of newer models used fuel from certain stations. Our recommended list includes Shell, Total and Stabex Petrol Stations. Together these three make the biggest network of gas stations in Uganda.