Buses for Kampala: Will UTODA get on board?
There is a time bomb waiting to explode in Kampala, if the simmering wrangle over taxis verses buses is not properly handled.
By Joshua Kato
There is a time bomb waiting to explode in Kampala, if the simmering wrangle over taxis verses buses is not properly handled.
Mayor Hajji Nasser Sebaggala is set to replace taxis with buses. Unveiling of the new buses was due on Tuesday. “Buses are the only way through which we can fight traffic jam in the city. Travellers spend a lot of time and fuel in jam,†Sebaggala says.
The Mayor has linked up with Pioneer Easy Bus limited. It works in partnership with Pioneer Corporation Africa, which is a regionally-known transport company that has branches in Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia.
On the outside, this is a very smart move that should be applauded and welcomed. However, people from different circles will certainly oppose it. For over 15 years, public transport has been dominated by Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA).
UTODA is heavily connected to ‘big’ people in the political circles of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Through out the presidential campaigns since 1996, UTODA has been at the helm of providing free transport to NRM supporters. In return, the political establishment has ensured that UTODA retains the tender to manage the taxi business in the city. Groups like Freeline Transporters tried, but failed.
UTODA has been giving Kampala City Council (KCC) specified amounts of money, depending on the contract. The last contract was sh250m per month. The new five-year contract specifies that UTODA pays sh290m per month to KCC. UTODA chairman Hajji Moses Katongole says if taxis are thrown out of the city, he is going to sue for breach of contract.
According to the present contract, between UTODA and KCC, UTODA has rights to operate the two main taxi parks in the centre of the city and to manage all taxi stages in the city.
Taxi drivers do not even want to hear of court cases, they have vowed to wage war on the buses.
“Nobody can clap and ululate when somebody is plotting to take away their job. We are not happy with the course Sebaggala is taking,†says Musa Sserwanga, who operates at the Ntinda, Bukoto and Kisaasi stages.
“UTODA has been taking a lot of our money without showing us accountability, but we have been able to survive on the little money that we save. It cannot be compared to a situation where one tells you to leave your job,†says Paul Ssematiko, who operates at the Kibuli Stage.
Taxis pay for a monthly sticker of sh15,000. This is in addition to sh4,500 for a daily ticket and between sh1,000 to sh3,000, depending on the route whenever they load passengers. According to UTODA officials, one of their biggest worries is employment for the people currently working in the taxi industry. There are officially about 7,000 taxis that operate in the city. KCC believes this is a large number.
Each of these taxis employs two people a driver and a conductor. This adds to around 14,000 people directly employed in taxis. Outside the taxi, there are at least five managers for each stage, with about 100 stages in both taxi parks, the number goes to around 500 people, just inside the taxi parks.
There are also stage managers all around the city and its suburbs. For example, on Kampala Road, there are four stages at the Constitutional Square, a stage in front of the Post Office, a stage near Diamond Trust, a stage near Uganda House, a stage near dfcu, a stage at former ESSO Corner and another near Shell. Each of these stages has about five touts, who directly earn from it. This situation is replayed on every road.
Taxi owners invest millions of shillings in taxis.
On average, the taxi industry employs not less than 60,000 people, mainly the youth in and around the city. Katongole puts the official figure at around 100,000.
“Where is Ssebagala going to employ all those people?†Katongole wonders. Some taxi drivers are a menace largely because of the poor organisation. They pick passengers from anywhere, which increases traffic jam. They drive recklessly.
Taxi competitors are boda-boda riders. Touts cause a lot of noise pollution as they call passengers loudly. Ssebagala explains that the buses will employ the same people taxis are employing. Besides, he argues that taxis are not being sent out of the city, but rather relocated into six less crowded and better organised taxi parks.
“At the moment, Kampala has got only two taxi parks. But under the new programme, we are setting up six taxi parks on the outskirts of the city. Six or two, what is better?†Ssebagala asks. He says he has met the top officials of UTODA and other stakeholders over the issue.
There is no doubt the buses will reduce traffic jams. One bus carries four times the number of people carried by a taxi. This means with one bus, four taxis driven out of the city centre.
The buses will have definite stops, which means the jam caused by taxis as a result of loading will be no more. Other advantages include passengers buying day-long tickets, or even month-long tickets, which is currently impossible with taxis.
Buses employ less people than taxis. For example, since they will be moving in organised routes, they will not need touts to call for passengers. Buses will have route numbers. There will be loss of employment; 300 buses, with two drivers and two conductors each will directly employ 1,200 people compared to the 14,000 employed by taxis.
City roads were not designed for buses. They are narrow and crammed. Buses might just add to the problem.
“On average, all roads entering or leaving the city have two lanes. These kind of narrow roads were not constructed for buses,†says Peter Matovu, a transport consultant.
Sebaggala, however, says the roads will be widened with time. On top of that, the space left by the prohibited taxis covers up for the narrow roads.
“We are not against buses coming to the city, but I think let us simply have competition and clean competition,†says UTODA’s Moses Katongole.
Katongole’s vice, Chris Ssengooba, adds that as far as de-congesting the city is concerned, UTODA had plans to reduce the number of taxis operating in the city. Unless taxis are restricted, it would be difficult for buses to operate profitably.
The entrepreneurs who are bringing the buses are very much aware of this. This is why they are calling for the removal of taxis. Uganda Transport Company was hounded out of the city service by taxis. Taxis also hounded out City Link, another bus company, in the mid 1990s.
Analysts also argue that other companies should be allowed to enter the city bus business to ensure quality as a result of the competition. In Kenya, there are several bus companies operating in the city. Irrespective of the historical warm relations between UTODA and NRM, this might be in Sebaggala’s favour, thanks to the upcoming Common Wealth Conference.
A source in KCC said the Government is eager to reduce traffic jam in the city before the Common wealth Conference.
“Government is supporting the move for the buses. In fact, we have already agreed on certain terms for both the operation of the buses and taxis,†an official in the Ministry of Transport and Communication, says. He, however, called for sober minds as the transition is carried out.
Ends
There is a time bomb waiting to explode in Kampala, if the simmering wrangle over taxis verses buses is not properly handled.
Mayor Hajji Nasser Sebaggala is set to replace taxis with buses. Unveiling of the new buses was due on Tuesday. “Buses are the only way through which we can fight traffic jam in the city. Travellers spend a lot of time and fuel in jam,†Sebaggala says.
The Mayor has linked up with Pioneer Easy Bus limited. It works in partnership with Pioneer Corporation Africa, which is a regionally-known transport company that has branches in Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia.
On the outside, this is a very smart move that should be applauded and welcomed. However, people from different circles will certainly oppose it. For over 15 years, public transport has been dominated by Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA).
UTODA is heavily connected to ‘big’ people in the political circles of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Through out the presidential campaigns since 1996, UTODA has been at the helm of providing free transport to NRM supporters. In return, the political establishment has ensured that UTODA retains the tender to manage the taxi business in the city. Groups like Freeline Transporters tried, but failed.
UTODA has been giving Kampala City Council (KCC) specified amounts of money, depending on the contract. The last contract was sh250m per month. The new five-year contract specifies that UTODA pays sh290m per month to KCC. UTODA chairman Hajji Moses Katongole says if taxis are thrown out of the city, he is going to sue for breach of contract.
According to the present contract, between UTODA and KCC, UTODA has rights to operate the two main taxi parks in the centre of the city and to manage all taxi stages in the city.
Taxi drivers do not even want to hear of court cases, they have vowed to wage war on the buses.
“Nobody can clap and ululate when somebody is plotting to take away their job. We are not happy with the course Sebaggala is taking,†says Musa Sserwanga, who operates at the Ntinda, Bukoto and Kisaasi stages.
“UTODA has been taking a lot of our money without showing us accountability, but we have been able to survive on the little money that we save. It cannot be compared to a situation where one tells you to leave your job,†says Paul Ssematiko, who operates at the Kibuli Stage.
Taxis pay for a monthly sticker of sh15,000. This is in addition to sh4,500 for a daily ticket and between sh1,000 to sh3,000, depending on the route whenever they load passengers. According to UTODA officials, one of their biggest worries is employment for the people currently working in the taxi industry. There are officially about 7,000 taxis that operate in the city. KCC believes this is a large number.
Each of these taxis employs two people a driver and a conductor. This adds to around 14,000 people directly employed in taxis. Outside the taxi, there are at least five managers for each stage, with about 100 stages in both taxi parks, the number goes to around 500 people, just inside the taxi parks.
There are also stage managers all around the city and its suburbs. For example, on Kampala Road, there are four stages at the Constitutional Square, a stage in front of the Post Office, a stage near Diamond Trust, a stage near Uganda House, a stage near dfcu, a stage at former ESSO Corner and another near Shell. Each of these stages has about five touts, who directly earn from it. This situation is replayed on every road.
Taxi owners invest millions of shillings in taxis.
On average, the taxi industry employs not less than 60,000 people, mainly the youth in and around the city. Katongole puts the official figure at around 100,000.
“Where is Ssebagala going to employ all those people?†Katongole wonders. Some taxi drivers are a menace largely because of the poor organisation. They pick passengers from anywhere, which increases traffic jam. They drive recklessly.
Taxi competitors are boda-boda riders. Touts cause a lot of noise pollution as they call passengers loudly. Ssebagala explains that the buses will employ the same people taxis are employing. Besides, he argues that taxis are not being sent out of the city, but rather relocated into six less crowded and better organised taxi parks.
“At the moment, Kampala has got only two taxi parks. But under the new programme, we are setting up six taxi parks on the outskirts of the city. Six or two, what is better?†Ssebagala asks. He says he has met the top officials of UTODA and other stakeholders over the issue.
There is no doubt the buses will reduce traffic jams. One bus carries four times the number of people carried by a taxi. This means with one bus, four taxis driven out of the city centre.
The buses will have definite stops, which means the jam caused by taxis as a result of loading will be no more. Other advantages include passengers buying day-long tickets, or even month-long tickets, which is currently impossible with taxis.
Buses employ less people than taxis. For example, since they will be moving in organised routes, they will not need touts to call for passengers. Buses will have route numbers. There will be loss of employment; 300 buses, with two drivers and two conductors each will directly employ 1,200 people compared to the 14,000 employed by taxis.
City roads were not designed for buses. They are narrow and crammed. Buses might just add to the problem.
“On average, all roads entering or leaving the city have two lanes. These kind of narrow roads were not constructed for buses,†says Peter Matovu, a transport consultant.
Sebaggala, however, says the roads will be widened with time. On top of that, the space left by the prohibited taxis covers up for the narrow roads.
“We are not against buses coming to the city, but I think let us simply have competition and clean competition,†says UTODA’s Moses Katongole.
Katongole’s vice, Chris Ssengooba, adds that as far as de-congesting the city is concerned, UTODA had plans to reduce the number of taxis operating in the city. Unless taxis are restricted, it would be difficult for buses to operate profitably.
The entrepreneurs who are bringing the buses are very much aware of this. This is why they are calling for the removal of taxis. Uganda Transport Company was hounded out of the city service by taxis. Taxis also hounded out City Link, another bus company, in the mid 1990s.
Analysts also argue that other companies should be allowed to enter the city bus business to ensure quality as a result of the competition. In Kenya, there are several bus companies operating in the city. Irrespective of the historical warm relations between UTODA and NRM, this might be in Sebaggala’s favour, thanks to the upcoming Common Wealth Conference.
A source in KCC said the Government is eager to reduce traffic jam in the city before the Common wealth Conference.
“Government is supporting the move for the buses. In fact, we have already agreed on certain terms for both the operation of the buses and taxis,†an official in the Ministry of Transport and Communication, says. He, however, called for sober minds as the transition is carried out.
Ends