KCC to repair old taxi park
Sep 29, 2009
KAMPALA City Council (KCC) has contracted Zzimwe Construction Company to repair the old taxi park. The total cost for the pothole repairs in the taxi park is estimated at sh1.8b but only sh500m is available for the entire project.
By Jude Kafuuma
KAMPALA City Council (KCC) has contracted Zzimwe Construction Company to repair the old taxi park. The total cost for the pothole repairs in the taxi park is estimated at sh1.8b but only sh500m is available for the entire project.
The city town clerk, Ruth Kijjambu, said repairs for the old park were supposed to start after signing the contract but the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) has to first sensitise the business community using the park.
According to the KCC publist, Simon Muhumuza, the sh500m will be in the first phase to be undertaken by Zzimwe. “The first phase will be completed this financial year and more repairs will be carried out in the next financial year when more funding if provided.â€
The repairs were expected to start early this year but were delayed when bids took long to open. UTODA manages the park on behalf of KCC.
UTODA which manages about 7,000 commuter taxis in the city has accused KCC of failing to maintain the taxi park. UTODA, who are the main stakeholders in the park, have requested KCC for two weeks to sensitise users and also work out ways of relocating the various activities as repairs go on.
UTODA chairperson and national treasurer, Hajji Musa Katongole, said the association would sit with KCC and the contractors to answer queries about the project.
Katongole said KCC over looked the sewage system leading to floods during rainy seasons. “When the contractors came to us after signing the contract with KCC, we agreed that they would work on the sewage system that passes through the old taxi park.
This means revising the costs to include the sewerage repairs,†Katongole added. At the beginning of the year, relocation of taxis from the taxi park became contentious when UTODA demanded space at Nakivubo Blue and Nakivubo Settlement primary schools.
Kampala mayor Hajji Nasser Sebaggala had agreed to relocate the park to Nakivubo Blue Primary, saying it was impractical to carry out repairs while taxis still used the park.
The Kampala Resident District Commissioner, Alice Muwanguzi, protested Sebaggala’s move. Recently, Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago and the spokesperson of the Democratic Party, Betty Nambooze, vowed to seek legal redress to halt the plans of shifting the park to a school to pave way for developments.
“Under the new contract with Zzimwe, taxis will not be relocated. Repairs will be done while taxis occupy parts that are not being worked on,†Kijjambu said.
KAMPALA City Council (KCC) has contracted Zzimwe Construction Company to repair the old taxi park. The total cost for the pothole repairs in the taxi park is estimated at sh1.8b but only sh500m is available for the entire project.
The city town clerk, Ruth Kijjambu, said repairs for the old park were supposed to start after signing the contract but the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) has to first sensitise the business community using the park.
According to the KCC publist, Simon Muhumuza, the sh500m will be in the first phase to be undertaken by Zzimwe. “The first phase will be completed this financial year and more repairs will be carried out in the next financial year when more funding if provided.â€
The repairs were expected to start early this year but were delayed when bids took long to open. UTODA manages the park on behalf of KCC.
UTODA which manages about 7,000 commuter taxis in the city has accused KCC of failing to maintain the taxi park. UTODA, who are the main stakeholders in the park, have requested KCC for two weeks to sensitise users and also work out ways of relocating the various activities as repairs go on.
UTODA chairperson and national treasurer, Hajji Musa Katongole, said the association would sit with KCC and the contractors to answer queries about the project.
Katongole said KCC over looked the sewage system leading to floods during rainy seasons. “When the contractors came to us after signing the contract with KCC, we agreed that they would work on the sewage system that passes through the old taxi park.
This means revising the costs to include the sewerage repairs,†Katongole added. At the beginning of the year, relocation of taxis from the taxi park became contentious when UTODA demanded space at Nakivubo Blue and Nakivubo Settlement primary schools.
Kampala mayor Hajji Nasser Sebaggala had agreed to relocate the park to Nakivubo Blue Primary, saying it was impractical to carry out repairs while taxis still used the park.
The Kampala Resident District Commissioner, Alice Muwanguzi, protested Sebaggala’s move. Recently, Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago and the spokesperson of the Democratic Party, Betty Nambooze, vowed to seek legal redress to halt the plans of shifting the park to a school to pave way for developments.
“Under the new contract with Zzimwe, taxis will not be relocated. Repairs will be done while taxis occupy parts that are not being worked on,†Kijjambu said.