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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Taxi operators in the Old Park that ply Entebbe road have defied a directive to relocate to Usafi and Kisenyi taxi parks.
On Friday, the Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Minsa Kabanda issued a directive that all taxis that ply Entebbe should relocate to Usafi and Kisenyi taxi parks.
However by Wednesday, taxis were still in the old taxi park and operating along the roads at Conrad Plaza and Aponye Mall.
Karim Musisi, one of the drivers at Entebbe stage says that for the time he worked in Usafi taxi park, he made losses due to lack of customers.
He adds that they are willing to relocate to Usafi taxi park only if Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) organizes Usafi Park by demolishing part of the market so that the park can be accessed easily by passengers.
He also said that they want KCCA to first remove all Entebbe road taxis operating along the road and install security lights along the way to Usafi park.
Elizabeth Katusabe, a passenger said that going to Usafi park requires extra transport costs of 2,000 to 3,000 shillings.
Taxi drivers at the Old Taxi Park have alleged that the move by the minister to relocate Entebbe taxis is being instigated by Aloysius Ddamulira, the proprietor of Kisenyi park.
They said that they can relocate to Usafi park but not Kisenyi Gwanda park because it is privately owned.
But Ddamulira said that the minister’s directive is aimed at decongesting the city’s central business area and also getting rid of taxis operating on illegal stages.
He also said that before the minister’s directive, there was a committee instituted by KCCA with all chairpersons of different parks as board members to revamp Usafi park. He adds that the committee submitted its report to the KCCA Executive Director.
Simon Kasyate, the spokesperson of KCCA says that they are yet to enforce the Minister’s directive.
Management of Usafi park petitioned the Minister challenging the continued operations of Entebbe road stages in the old taxi park and other illegal stages which have affected the turn up of passengers in Usafi park.
It is a one-kilometer distance from Old Taxi Park to Usafi Park. The road is also congested with traders going to St. Balikudembe market and Kisenyi markets respectively which makes it difficult for passengers carrying luggage.
Usafi Park and market sit on 6.18 acres of land which the government bought in 2014 from Safinet (U) Ltd, a company owned by businessman Umar Ssekamatte at 39.4 billion shillings before the cost increased to 43 billion Shillings after KCCA failed to make payment on time and was fined 3.6 billion shillings.
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