Amuru district officials, taxi operators fight over passengers
OFFICIALS of Amuru district local government and Gulu taxi operators fought over passengers at Gulu Bus Park on Thursday.
By Charles Akena
OFFICIALS of Amuru district local government and Gulu taxi operators fought over passengers at Gulu Bus Park on Thursday.
The drama unfolded shortly after taxi operators at Amuru stage in Gulu Bus Park impounded a double cabin pick-up truck, registration number LG 0022-71, belonging to the water department of Amuru district.
Christopher Okello, one of the stage masters at the park, said they impounded the vehicle after it loaded passengers heading to Amuru.
“These people have been doing this for a long time, they come and load passengers inside the park under the guise that they are civil servants of the district,†Okello said.
“Enough is enough. We cannot tolerate this any more. A government vehicle is not meant to transport passengers. Why do they come to the park to pick passengers?â€
The officials at first took it lightly and continued calling travellers.
However, they ran and abandoned the vehicle when they learnt that Amuru resident district commissioner, Milton Odongo, had been notified of their behaviour.
Odongo wondered why civil servants were operating taxis using government vehicles.
“ They are expected in office by 9:00am. I wonder what they were looking for in Gulu,†Odongo said.
He said he had instructed the chief administrative officer that only vehicles from the office the CAO and LC5 chairman were allowed to travel to Gulu for duties like bank transactions.
A passenger travelling to Labongogali in Amuru said the driver charged them sh3,000. “I knew it was a district vehicle but the driver told me they would charge me a lower amount,†Margaret Acan explained.
The driver, Samuel Othieno, was later arrested by police and he is being detained at Gulu central police station, where the vehicle has been parked.
OFFICIALS of Amuru district local government and Gulu taxi operators fought over passengers at Gulu Bus Park on Thursday.
The drama unfolded shortly after taxi operators at Amuru stage in Gulu Bus Park impounded a double cabin pick-up truck, registration number LG 0022-71, belonging to the water department of Amuru district.
Christopher Okello, one of the stage masters at the park, said they impounded the vehicle after it loaded passengers heading to Amuru.
“These people have been doing this for a long time, they come and load passengers inside the park under the guise that they are civil servants of the district,†Okello said.
“Enough is enough. We cannot tolerate this any more. A government vehicle is not meant to transport passengers. Why do they come to the park to pick passengers?â€
The officials at first took it lightly and continued calling travellers.
However, they ran and abandoned the vehicle when they learnt that Amuru resident district commissioner, Milton Odongo, had been notified of their behaviour.
Odongo wondered why civil servants were operating taxis using government vehicles.
“ They are expected in office by 9:00am. I wonder what they were looking for in Gulu,†Odongo said.
He said he had instructed the chief administrative officer that only vehicles from the office the CAO and LC5 chairman were allowed to travel to Gulu for duties like bank transactions.
A passenger travelling to Labongogali in Amuru said the driver charged them sh3,000. “I knew it was a district vehicle but the driver told me they would charge me a lower amount,†Margaret Acan explained.
The driver, Samuel Othieno, was later arrested by police and he is being detained at Gulu central police station, where the vehicle has been parked.