Covid-19: Works Ministry, KCCA to meet taxi drivers’ leaders in Kampala over hiked transport fares

The Ministry of Works and Transport together with Kampala Capital City Authority officials are set to meet all leaders of taxi drivers in Kampala to discuss the issue of transport fares before they resume operating on June 4.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Ministry of Works headquarters specifically to safeguards the public from being exploited by taxi drivers who had already planned to hike transport fares.

The call for the meeting follows the lifting of the ban on public transport by President Yoweri Museveni on Monday night during his state of the nation address on Covid-19.

President Museveni said that public transport is to resume on 4th June, with conditions that every taxi will carry only seven people and all passengers should have masks.

Following the President’s speech, some taxi driver’s associations such as Kampala Taxi Operators’ Association on Tuesday morning published a list of transport fares for destinations in and around Kampala. For example from Kampala-Bweyogerere, Kireka one must pay Shs 4000, instead of the known Shs2000.

Kampala to Mukono, Seeta will be Shs 6000 instead of Shs3000. From Kampala to Biina, Kitintale, Mutungo Luzira its Shs 3000 instead of Shs1500 before the lockdown.

However, officials from KCCA and Ministry of works have said they will not allow taxi drivers to set their own fares because they will be exploiting the public.

Mustafah Bayambala the leader of Uganda Transport Development Agency (UTRADA) while speaking to CBS FM on Tuesday also cautioned his fellow leaders to immediately stop setting their own transport fares before they meet with government officials.

“Because there is a directive of each taxi to carry seven people, some leaders have set their own transport fares which is not bad but its too early because we are going to meet the ministry to discuss this. Each side need another we should not oppress our passengers and at time same time we must not also be oppressed, that is why we are going to meet the government officials from KCCA, and ministry,” he said.