Usafi park operators protest street taxi operations

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Taxi operators in Usafi taxi park are unhappy about the decision of their colleagues to operate on streets. A number of taxis plying the Entebbe route are still operating on the streets and in non-designated places.

Taxis are parked at Clock tower alias Kibaati opposite Usafi market. The area is cordoned with iron sheets as construction of the Kampala Fflyover takes place. The taxi operators invite passenger going to Kibuye, Namasuba, Zana and Entebbe.

Some of these taxis come from Nasser road where they also have a stage outside Zenith Business Colleague building. Others park behind Kibaati area in Kinyoro zone market in Katwe One. Passengers are picked by agents or brokers from the roadside and taken to the taxis hidden in the market area.

The taxis pass via Nabisaalu, to Makindye Kumubaraka from where they connect to Salaama road. Passengers to Salaama road, Kibuye and Busaabala road are the target here.

In October last year, Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA issued new traffic guidelines, which saw taxis on Entebbe-Kajjansi stage, Zana- Namasuba stage, Kasenyi stage, Ndeeba- Sembuule stage, Kibuye Queens way stage and Ndejje stage relocate from old taxi park to Usafi park.

URN visited Usafi park early this week and found ten taxis on Entebbe stage, almost without passengers. About 30 taxis ply the Entebbe route. Richard Kiyaga, the chairperson Entebbe stage, says taxis operating on roads around Usafi have affected the turn up of passengers.

He says passengers are who would use Usafi are swayed by taxis operating outside the park.

Kiyaga is one of those moved in October and doesn’t wish to go back because Usafi has more space. He says his colleagues should respect KCCA guidelines and come to the park, saying that passengers will follow them. When the taxi where relocated in October, Kiyaga petitioned KCCA asking for more security on the route from Old taxi part to Usafi, something he says was worked on.

Ali Lukyamuzi one of the pioneers of the park, a driver at Busaabala stage, says the effect of taxis operating outside the park hasn’t spared his stage. Lukyamuzi says rather than walk to Usafi, passengers board taxis plying the Namasuba route and board off from Busaabala road at Entebbe road where they find other means to their destinations.

He says that if KCCA doesn’t force all taxis to operate in Ttaxi parks, they will also be forced to operate on the street.

Musa Muleme, the chairman of Usafi market under, which the park falls, says KCCA needs to enforce the guidelines lest the matter goes out of hand. He told URN that Usafi park set up committees to guide the merger and reorganize the park to ensure that all parties are equally catered for but this didn’t stop taxis from leaving or refusing to come to the park as guided by KCCA.

Usafi park was put in place as an enabler of Usafi market. However, operators have abandoned both the market and park citing lack of customers. The October guidelines were seen as a boost to the market but with such developments, the objective of the market still hangs in balance.

*****

URN