KCCA relocates 10 more stages to Usafi

Apr 08, 2014

PASSENGERS plying routes along Entebbe Road were yet again treated to drama when, they found their commuter taxis relocated to Usafi Park

By Juliet Waiswa

PASSENGERS plying routes along Entebbe Road were yet again treated to drama when, they found their commuter taxis relocated to Usafi Park.

“Go to Usafi Park. We are not working today,” said a taxi tout at the Makindye stage while directing passengers who had not idea about Usafi Park.

The move to relocate the 10 stages to Usafi Park was carried out by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) enforcement team backed by police, after a series of meetings between KCCA, the police, Kampala City Resident Commissioner, Aisha Kabanda and stage leaders.

There was a two hour standoff as the drivers and conductors tried to resist the move telling passengers that they were on a sit down strike. 

However KCCA enforcement team and police managed to relocate the taxis. 

The commander of Old Kampala police, Rusoke Kituuma also in charge of KCCA enforcement team took over the park and managed to convince the affected leaders to move to Usafi.

The affected stages include Makindye, Lukuli -Nanganda, Nsambya, Kajjansi, Kasenyi, Salama- Munyonyo, Najjanankumbi, Entebbe, Zana- Namasba and Busabala.

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Passengers stranded at the Entebbe stage in the Old Taxi Park after the operation to shift taxis to USAFI park in Kisenyi. Photo by Wilfred Sanya

“KCCA has held a series of meetings with the affected stage leaders and they are aware of our move to relocate them,” the assistant spokesperson KCCA Robert Kalumba said in an interview.

Kalumba explained that KCCA will ensure that all the illegal taxi stages operating outside the parks occupy the Old Taxi Park.

He added that KCCA found that it would be easy for taxis plying Entebbe Road to access Usafi Park.

He added that the drivers were given two weeks to relocate to Usafi Park, but a cross section of drivers were negative about the move alleging that there was no security in the park.

The 10 stages will now join four other stages which were earlier relocated to Usafi.

In February, KCCA relocated all taxis which were operating in Cooper Complex Park affecting four stages of Kasanga, Muyenga, Ggaba and Buziga. These stages were relocated to Usafi Park amidst protest from a few drivers.

“We still have issues to sort out with KCCA. We had not yet accepted to relocate,” Farouk Minawa, the chairman Makindye stage said.

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