Don't make the good roads a deathtrap — Kasaija

Aug 06, 2020

Taxi drivers have a tendency of speeding so that they can make more routes at the expense of the lives of innocent passengers.

TRANSPORT 

KIBAALE-The Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija, has cautioned taxi drivers against turning the improved road network in the country into a deathtrap for Ugandans.

"The Government has invested heavily in road infrastructure and most roads are now tarmacked, but you (taxi drivers) need to be extra careful so that these roads are not turned into death traps to claim the valuable lives of passengers.

I do not want to hear that people are losing lives due to recklessness and speeding," Kasaija said.

Speeding

He said taxi drivers have a tendency of speeding so that they can make more routes at the expense of the lives of innocent passengers.

"The people you are carrying have responsibility and are breadwinners, you need to have it in mind that when you kill passengers, you are ruining the livelihood of many other people," he added.

Kasaija said more roads will be upgraded to bitumen to ease the movement of businesspeople, which will improve their household incomes, hence pay more taxes, increasing the country's tax base.

Kasaija was meeting taxi drivers from Kagadi district, who paid him a visit to thank him for developing Bunyoro and the country in general.

Savings

Kasaija challenged the taxi drivers to strengthen their Savings and Credit Co-operative Organisations so that they can diversify their income to avoid reliance on the transport sector.

"You should not depend on a single enterprise, especially the transport industry, which can be hit by eventualities, such as COVID-19. You will have no food to put on the table," Kasaija warned

He said the Government had earmarked billions of shillings for the Myooga initiative to help various groups access credit at reduced interest rates so that they can be able to save and also invest.

Dr Emily Kugonza, the Uganda Investment Authority board chairperson, said he was happy that taxi drivers had recognised the role that improved roads can play in the development of the country.

Matia Musoke, who has spent 28 years in the taxi business, said: "People used to laugh at us because we came from dusty roads, but that is no longer the case since all major roads have been improved to tarmac," Musoke said.

The drivers also decried the high taxes levied on their business and called on the minister to intervene.

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