UTODA, we want professional drivers
May 19, 2008
EDITOR — One thing that has eluded the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers’ Association’s (UTODA) system and structure is professionalism.
EDITOR — One thing that has eluded the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers’ Association’s (UTODA) system and structure is professionalism.
The association is run like a rural market despite being a major player in a billion-shilling industry. Its biggest claim to fame is the provision of traffic stewards.
What UTODA’s management has failed to understand is that change is needed more within the taxis than outside them because that is where the passengers actually are.
UTODA must provide quality, respectful and professional services to its passengers. My latest experience with the lack of professionalism was just after 6:00pm on May 15 in the Naalya Housing Estate. In an attempt to beat a rival to passengers, one taxi overtook another, narrowly missing the one I was in, lost control and span to a halt, blocking the road. The one that had been overtaken, still in hot pursuit, screeched to a stop just before it could ram into the other errant taxi. Now, that is normal behaviour among UTODA’s ranks – we see it everyday, only that this incident almost ended with casualties.
This was followed by more unprofessional and foolish behaviour. The driver of the taxi I was travelling in reversed to the scene, walked out of the taxi and started inspecting the scene. Without any hurry or remorse at leaving paying passengers in the vehicle, his explanation was that the operators in the errant taxis were his colleagues. When I protested and eventually marched out of the taxi without paying, I was followed with sharp words. The driver’s failure to understand why I was protesting showed that he did not do his work professionally.
Martin Makara,
Naalya
The association is run like a rural market despite being a major player in a billion-shilling industry. Its biggest claim to fame is the provision of traffic stewards.
What UTODA’s management has failed to understand is that change is needed more within the taxis than outside them because that is where the passengers actually are.
UTODA must provide quality, respectful and professional services to its passengers. My latest experience with the lack of professionalism was just after 6:00pm on May 15 in the Naalya Housing Estate. In an attempt to beat a rival to passengers, one taxi overtook another, narrowly missing the one I was in, lost control and span to a halt, blocking the road. The one that had been overtaken, still in hot pursuit, screeched to a stop just before it could ram into the other errant taxi. Now, that is normal behaviour among UTODA’s ranks – we see it everyday, only that this incident almost ended with casualties.
This was followed by more unprofessional and foolish behaviour. The driver of the taxi I was travelling in reversed to the scene, walked out of the taxi and started inspecting the scene. Without any hurry or remorse at leaving paying passengers in the vehicle, his explanation was that the operators in the errant taxis were his colleagues. When I protested and eventually marched out of the taxi without paying, I was followed with sharp words. The driver’s failure to understand why I was protesting showed that he did not do his work professionally.
Martin Makara,
Naalya