Bushenyi bus operations remain suspended as govt seeks resolution

-------------

The Ministry of Works and Transport has directed bus owners/companies in Bushenyi district to meet with the leaders of taxi operators and resolve a number of issues that sparked a recent strike. 

Officials from the ministry on Friday, July 7, met with Bushenyi district leaders, taxi operators and managers of buses at the Bushenyi/Ishaka Municipality council hall. 

Winstone Katushabe, the commissioner of transport regulation and safety and the chief licensing officer of motor vehicles in the ministry, stayed the directive by the district leadership to halt the operation of buses until the two parties meet and harmonise. 

“Let all buses stop and let there be no addition of buses on the road,” Katushabe said. “They must all attend so that they review their route charts and then we agree on what next.” 

Strike

The taxi drivers went on strike on June 27 this year, accusing the bus companies including Tausi, Kigo, Swift and Global, of pushing them out of the transport business.  

Transport business across Bushenyi came to a standstill after the district leadership and security officials intervened, leading to the suspension of bus operations by Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Robert Atuhairwe. 

The Bushenyi Taxi Operators Cooperative Union chairperson, Arthur Mucunguzi, said buses that don’t have a park and a stage in Ishaka have pushed them out of the transport business by taking passengers on the cheap causing them losses. 

“We have been operating freely with buses but when we heard their plans of increasing buses and admitting more buses on the same road, we became worried,” said Mucunguzi who accused Tausi of increasing its buses from 4 to 27 buses.  

“To make matters worse, Global which has been operating the Kampala-Mbarara route has now been given a route chart from Kampala-Mbarara-Ishaka-Mitooma which indicates that we have to look for other things to do,” he complained. 

Atuhairwe told the taxi operators that their grievances are valid because they are going to begin fighting with buses over passengers on the road.  

He blamed the bus companies for coming to the area without the knowledge of the district leadership. 

The Bushenyi district chairman, Jaffari Bassajjabalaba, faulted the directors of the bus companies saying, “We have been calling them to meetings but they have remained adamant”. 

The taxi operators also blamed the municipal council for failing to gazette a park. “When we heard that more buses are coming, we realised that there are going to be problems because there is no loading space since we have been loading passengers on the road,” Mucunguzi said. 

However, the Bushenyi/Ishaka Municipality mayor, Richard Byaruhanga, allayed the taxi operators’ fears saying the municipal council has already regained the ownership of the park in Ishaka Town which the municipal council had lost. 

Katushabe warned the district leadership and the taxi operators to be mindful of people especially businessmen who are travelling at night when taxis rarely operate. 

“Don’t stop those with the capacity to do business,” Katushabe said as he warned both the leaders and the taxi operators stressing that, “the effects of all these go on the passengers”. 

Katushabe blamed the taxi operators and the bus owners for failing to regulate themselves.  

“People are resorting to bodabodas because you have failed to be consistent,” he said. 

Owners speak out 

Patrick Mwesigwa the manager for Global buses said, “All bus companies in the Western region have concentrated in Mbarara and it is the reason we are running away to look for more routes.” 

“In such a competition, it is a matter for all of us to improve our services,” said an official with Tausi buses only identified as Alex. 

Katushabe further warned the drivers and bodaboda cyclists about the rising number of road accidents.  

“On top of losing lives, the country is losing sh7trillion on road accidents,” he disclosed.  

Katushabe said 60% of Mulago National Referral Hospital’s budget is spent on treating causalities due to road accidents. 

“If we could save on the money that is spent in accidents/road carnages, districts would get more money to fund the districts’ budgets and do projects in communities,” Katushabe explained. “Let us try to end accidents on the roads by being careful so that we stop losing our people,” he appealed. 

Mucunguzi asked the ministry to draft a law that bars women from sitting in front seats.  

“We attribute some accidents on the road to women/girls because they cause drivers to lose concentration,” he said sending the meeting into fits of laughter.