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Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police used teargas to quell rowdy taxi operators who were fighting over the operation of illegal parking spaces and stages in Masaka.
Police led by Masaka City Police Commander Moses Nanoka intervened after leaders of Masaka United Taxi Operators and Drivers Cooperative Society, engaged in bitter clashes with their counterparts plying the Kampala-Kyotera and Kampala-Mbarara routes, accusing them of setting up illegal roadside stages.
Bashir Mawanda, the chairperson of the group said that their counterparts had resumed operating a mini taxi park along the Masaka-Kyotera and Masaka-Mbarara road. Mawanda accused Ali Kafeero, a taxi driver along the Kampala-Mbarara road of leading a group that was forcefully resuming to operate from illegal taxi parks and stages.
But Kafeero insisted that it was illegal for them to load and offload passengers foutside the taxi park which was situated far away from the main road, something he argues is inconveniencing to drivers and passengers who are continuing with their journeys.
What began as an argument descended into a fight between the taxis drivers, prompting police to respond with teargas to quell the warring factions which had also led to blocking of traffic flow on broadway, the main road running through Masaka town.
Moses Nanoka, the Masaka City Police Commander said that they could not tolerate the confusion that had been created by people who intended to reopen illegal taxi parks in the city.
In October last year, the Masaka City Council authorities and the leaders of Masaka United Taxi Operators and Drivers Cooperative Society agreed to stop operating from ungazetted taxi parks and stages and accordingly ordered the operators to occupy the former Gaso Bus Park along Nalubaale street in Masaka city.
Nanoka says that city authorities gave police express instructions to enforce the decision, arguing that there is no way they could not tolerate people trying to cause confusion in the town. He says that they are going to continuously deploy in the area to ensure that taxi operators comply with the order.
Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi, the Masaka City Deputy Resident Commissioner insists that they will not relent on their decision of closing all illegal parks and stages as part of their efforts to ensure sanity in the town.
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