Museveni directive on taxis defied, drivers pay millions in illegal fees

For long, the Government has tried to have public transport streamlined. In Kampala this has included management of taxi associations and registration of taxi operators but the effort has always run into problems.

Taxi operators continue to pay daily illegal unreceipted charges in city taxi parks and on the highways, New Vision has discovered.

This is in total disregard of a presidential directive issued five months ago stopping illegal daily charges in the taxi parks and markets.

Commuter taxi drivers plying different routes, said they are still forced to pay daily illegal stage fees without receipts for accountability by stage committee members.

"The money collected at every stage, after loading passengers, is disguised as drivers and conductors' welfare. We suspect fraud. The money benefits the committee stage members including the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer," a driver who preferred anonymity, but operates out of Luwero Stage in Usafi Taxi Park, disclosed.

Drivers and conductors in Usafi, Kisenyi, Namayiba, Namirembe Road and New taxi parks in Kampala city, said whoever refuses to pay the fee is barred from the stage.

Kampala minister Betty Amongi said the Government had suspended all charges and fees imposed on taxi operators in the city since last July. This followed public concerns and complaints from the taxi operators about the charges levied by various groups in the taxi business.

Amongi said the collection of loading fees contravened Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) laws.

"All those drivers and conductors who are charged loading fees should report to my office. The Government will investigate to ascertain the truth, she said.

Amongi said in August 2018, President Museveni put a ban on all daily levies charged on informal business groups such as taxis.

She said the presidential directive, which was copied to KCCA, local government and finance ministers, stated that all these groups should only pay annual licences and operate without daily hindrances.

New fees for 2021

Amongi said Cabinet announced new park user fees for taxis and buses in the country that are to be paid annually.

She said the payment would be effected next year.

Taxis operating within Kampala capital city will pay sh720,000 while taxis operating between a local government and KCCA will pay sh840,000, where KCCA is to receive 60% and the local government 40% of the money collected.

Amongi said taxis operating between two urban authorities will also pay sh840,000 annually of which 60% will go the stage of origin and 40% to the final destination.

What taxi management says

Mustafa Mayambala, who heads the joint taxi operators' consortium comprising six taxi operators' associations, claimed he was not aware of any illegal fees being paid by drivers at the different stages.

"I call on all taxi drivers and conductors to report such matters to the Police and the taxi park managements," Mayambala said.

Contrary to the minister's position, Mayambala said drivers are supposed to pay "welfare fee" ranging between sh5,000 (short routes) and sh20,000 (long routes).

He said the money is necessary in case of illness, burials and accidents involving their members.

He added that development fees help the drivers and conductors buy land and build their own houses.

Mayambala argued that the welfare fees were of great help to drivers and conductors during the COVID-19 lockdown when public transport was suspended.