City transport woes to continue
Oct 31, 2007
KAMPALA city’s transport woes are not about to end. With only two buses operating out of the promised 80, passengers’ hopes, which had been raised for the last three months, have started fading.<br>When the two buses were brought in August, Pioneer Easy Bus’ managing director, Fred Ssennoga,
By Mikaili Sseppuya
KAMPALA city’s transport woes are not about to end. With only two buses operating out of the promised 80, passengers’ hopes, which had been raised for the last three months, have started fading.
When the two buses were brought in August, Pioneer Easy Bus’ managing director, Fred Ssennoga, promised to bring in 80 more buses for the Greater Kampala area.
This was in addition to earlier promises of even bigger numbers when the first bus was unveiled by Kampala Mayor Ntege Sebaggala in July last year.
Attempts to talk to Ssennoga on his mobile phone were futile because it was switched off.
Other sources said Ssennoga had said the two buses were being tested.
However, a Kampala City Council (KCC) official said: “We have no connection with those buses. The owners just wanted publicity at the time of change in the mayorship.
Those buses were meant to be working by the time of the Commonwealth meeting (CHOGM), but there are few signs of that.â€
The works ministry’s spokesperson, Susan Kataike, said: “We have nothing to do with those private enterprises. The buses the Government expects for CHOGM are executive class, nothing like those.â€
The buses, which charge sh500, are popular. Many commuters wait for them at the Constitutional Square each evening and along the routes they take.
To make matters worse, taxi touts have been chasing the 28-seater coasters from the taxi parks and roads.
KAMPALA city’s transport woes are not about to end. With only two buses operating out of the promised 80, passengers’ hopes, which had been raised for the last three months, have started fading.
When the two buses were brought in August, Pioneer Easy Bus’ managing director, Fred Ssennoga, promised to bring in 80 more buses for the Greater Kampala area.
This was in addition to earlier promises of even bigger numbers when the first bus was unveiled by Kampala Mayor Ntege Sebaggala in July last year.
Attempts to talk to Ssennoga on his mobile phone were futile because it was switched off.
Other sources said Ssennoga had said the two buses were being tested.
However, a Kampala City Council (KCC) official said: “We have no connection with those buses. The owners just wanted publicity at the time of change in the mayorship.
Those buses were meant to be working by the time of the Commonwealth meeting (CHOGM), but there are few signs of that.â€
The works ministry’s spokesperson, Susan Kataike, said: “We have nothing to do with those private enterprises. The buses the Government expects for CHOGM are executive class, nothing like those.â€
The buses, which charge sh500, are popular. Many commuters wait for them at the Constitutional Square each evening and along the routes they take.
To make matters worse, taxi touts have been chasing the 28-seater coasters from the taxi parks and roads.