BUSES AND TAXI'S TO INCREASE TRAFFIC CONGETION

It would be madness if MPs had not okayed the Bus Project, however, as the buses get ready for the road, it is the duty of Kampala City Council Authority(KCCA)to see that traffic congestion is not worsened. One thing which should have long been done is to have up country taxis different from the city commuters. Taxi's from upcountry should not enter Kampala, they should off load about 2 miles from the city centre so that city commuters take the people to the city. This is long overdue, but the way to go. 2ndly, there is need to learn from the transporters like Posta Uganda who have done excellent transportation of people with no significant accidents. It is sad the number of people who die daily on our roads.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
MPs OKAY BUS PROJECT

Chairperson of the Local Government Committee Florence Kintu (L) with MP Roland Mugume during the inspection of the buses in Naguru. Photo by GEOFFREY SSERUYANGE
By Mercy Nalugo

Posted Thursday, March 1 2012 at 00:00

In Summary

Legislators agreed that all stakeholders be brought on board to streamline all issues before the buses hit the road.
MPs on the parliamentary Public Service and Local Government committees have backed the Pioneer Easy Bus (PEB) project and called on the Works ministry to hasten the process of inspecting and issuing the buses with operational licenses.
PEB, a private company, was cleared by Kampala Capital City Authority to introduce more than 500 buses in the country in a bid to decongest the city.
The legislators, during a fact- finding inspection of the buses in Naguru yesterday, also demanded that other stakeholders be brought on board before the buses can start operations.
“We all like the buses and they should begin work. What we wanted to do is confirm whether the buses were actually imported into the country. We, however, want all stakeholders to be brought on board,” Ms Florence Kintu, the committee chairperson, said.
She added: “The Ministry of Works will inspect the buses and offer you a licence so that the new contract is granted.”
Mr Roland Mugume (Rukungiri Municipality) asked KCCA to approve the lanes for the buses.
The committee is today scheduled to meet all the stakeholders including KCCA, PEB management and Works ministry officials to come up with a common position before the buses can be cleared.
Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze, however, said PEB must adhere to the statutory instrument number seven that regulates bus services in the country. She said the buses agreed to in the statutory instrument with a 60-seater capacity were not those that were imported into the country.
But the operations manager, Mr Jabbe Pascal Osinde, insisted that the buses are standard urban specifications that carry 30 passengers seats while 30 passengers stand.
“They are a standard equipment used worldwide and they are the best we could get for Kampala,” Mr Osinde said.
Ms Nambooze threatened to write a minority report if her concerns are not accommodated in the main report.
Responding to MPs’ queries that the bus drivers lack the necessary requirements for them to operate, the PEB chief executive officer, Mr John Masanda, said they had recruited and trained about 600 drivers.
Mr Masanda commended the work of the committee, saying it had helped them streamline their operations.

mnalugo@ug.nationmedia.com