Bwaise bus terminal to open in August

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Bwaise bus terminal park is set to open at the end of August as part of efforts to ease traffic in Kampala. The terminal is among the four that had way back been conceived by the then Kampala City Council now Kampala Capital City Authority(KCCA).

Others include Natete, and Banda which will act as stop centers for buses and taxis from upcountry.

According to KCCA, the terminal developed by Kampala Logistics Center (Kalocen) Investments sits on over six acres of land located in the area between the Northern bypass, Bombo Road, and Mambule Road.

Moses Kyeyune the relations manager of Kalocen Investments says the terminal plans to host over 1,000 vehicles including taxis and lorries plying the Bombo Road, Gayaza Road all the way to Kayunga, Zirobwe Road, and the Northern bypass.

He explained that the new park will designate parking for taxis, city buses, lorries, and private parking. He says approximately four acres shall be allocated to taxis, 1 and a half acres to city buses, and another acre for other buses.

Currently, Kawempe has several small pieces of land where taxis park along Bombo, Gayaza, and Nabweru roads while others park in road reserves.

Villey Agaba, a physical planner at KCCA said that the development of the park shall improve the operations of the taxis in the area and support efforts to decongest the city.

He said that as the developer looks forward to opening the park, the authority shall meet with the leadership of the Uganda Taxi Operators Federation -UTOF, an umbrella body of taxi operators to discuss how the stages in the park shall be organized to avoid colliding with other parks in the city.

Hamid Mubanda the head of operations at Kalocen Investments says they have already written to the leadership of the taxi industry in Uganda Transport Operators Federation (UTOF) and the different taxi parks in Bwaise inviting taxi operators to embrace the park.

As plans to open the transport terminal take shape, one important issue to consider is the fees to be paid by taxi operators using the park.

There is no specific amount charged but currently, in Kampala, taxis using private parks pay an average fee of 3,500 Shillings daily.

Moses Kyeyune told URN that the management is yet to decide on the amount to be charged. He says they plan to liaise with other stakeholders before concluding on the fees to be paid for vehicles using the park.

Different taxi operators in Bwaise have welcome the development albeit others with a bit of skepticism. John Oleba the chairman of the Luwero stage at Bwaise taxi park welcomed the development.

Oleba thinks that the initiative by KCCA will help reduce congestion in the city as taxis along Bombo Road will not be able to enter the city.

The developer plans to lay the area with rocks and murram to shield the park from the effects of stormwater known for Kampala during the rainy seasons.

So far, they have lined more than a quarter of the land and also completed the construction of shops that form part of the business area of the park.

It is expected that by August, the entire park would have been laid with murram and hence opened for operations.

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URN