Taxi drivers in Mukono municipality are protesting a decision by the municipality suspending the loading and offloading of passengers and goods along major roads.
On Monday, Mukono municipal authorities passed a directive banning taxis from operating at illegal stages on major roads in the municipality, saying they are responsible for traffic jam and congestion.
The targeted points include Mukono-Jinja-Katosi junction and Mukono-Bugerere junction in Central division.
The authorities want the entire taxi business returned to the Central Taxi Park and Seeta town in Ggoma division. The authorities want the taxis to operate in Seeta Park along Bukerere road.
Mukono Town Clerk, Richard Monday, says the move is intended to reduce confusion in the transport sector and stop reckless driving in major trading centers.
However, the taxi drivers say they are ready to defy the directive because passengers avoid taxis in parks.
John Baptist Ndawula, who operates at Katosi stage, blames municipal officials for creating fights and instability among taxi drivers.
“We take months without registering accidents, also the park is currently small to accommodate all taxi, our presence at various stages booms businesses, we even fear to relocate and in a short time municipal officials clear others taxis to operate on the vacated stages.”
Elisa Ssewanyana operates at Bugerere stage. He notes passengers are time conscious, which makes it hard for them to seat in taxi parks.
Jackson Mukasa, another taxi driver advises the municipal officials to meet taxi operators to forge a way of working together other than passing directives that will only ignite disagreements.
However, the town clerk asks the taxi drivers to abide with the municipal directive, saying they have embarked on the process of securing another piece of land that will be gazetted as a new taxi park in central division to also accommodate trucks.
He says the municipal law enforcement team is on standby to enforce the directive effective February 25, 2020.
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