Masaka taxi drivers clash with council

Aug 18, 2009

THE Anti-riot Police were on Saturday deployed at Masaka Mayor’s Garden to stop taxi drivers from attacking municipal council officials who had poured murram at the entrance of the garden.

By Ali Mambule

THE Anti-riot Police were on Saturday deployed at Masaka Mayor’s Garden to stop taxi drivers from attacking municipal council officials who had poured murram at the entrance of the garden.

The drivers were attacking officials who tried to explain the move.

The officer in charge of Masaka Police Station, Andrew Gidui, said he was forced to deploy the Police to control the situation.

Sadam Tamale, a councillor for Katwe-Butego division and the division secretary for finance, said it was wrong for municipal authorities to block the entrance.

“We all know that this is the Mayor’s Garden but its use has not yet been realised. It is not wrong to let the drivers load passengers from here as plans to develop the area are being hatched,” Tamale said.

He said the municipal council had not implemented the directives from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets, which instructed them to solve the taxi park wrangles before August 31.

“The deadline they were given has not yet expired, but they are forcing drivers to vacate this place. In fact court allowed Equator Touring Services to occupy this place as the municipality reorganises itself,” Tamale explained.

Wrangles started when the municipal council tender board awarded Equator a tender to manage the main park in Katwe-Butego division and BATATA, another company, was allowed to run Kimanya-Kyabakuza division park.

Equator drivers opposed the division of the parks and shifted their business from the gazetted taxi park to the Mayor’s Garden.

According to Equator, the main taxi park could not attract passengers because of its location. They said the passengers opted to use the Barclays Bank and Lands office stages, which were managed by BATATA.

Bashir Mukasa, the chairman of the drivers, said the tenders should be awarded to one company to end the wrangles.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});