Written By | Jovita Hasto
A taxi operating along the main street along the Ibanda Kamwenge road [File: Jovita Hasto]
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IBANDA
Taxi operators in Ibanda Municipality have continued to defy directives to operate from gazetted taxi parks, contributing to growing congestion and disorder in the town.
In 2016, authorities in Ibanda District resolved that all taxis and buses operating on the streets should relocate to designated taxi parks. The move aimed to reduce congestion, improve order, and ensure proper organisation of the town.
The initiative, spearheaded by Ibanda Municipality Mayor Apollo Kibeherere, coincided with the elevation of the area to municipality status. It was also intended to create space for vehicles transporting goods to operate smoothly, particularly for business owners within the town.
However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, taxi operators gradually returned to the streets. Currently, only a few special hire vehicles occasionally use the taxi parks, while most taxis load and offload passengers along the streets.
Ibanda has two taxi parks — ITODA Taxi Park in Bufunda Ward and Mutara Taxi Park at Shaza Place along the Ibanda–Kazo road — but many operators continue to conduct business outside these facilities.
Musa Katumba, a taxi operator, attributed the problem to passenger behaviour, saying many prefer boarding vehicles from the streets to avoid delays.
“Passengers refuse vehicles from the taxi park because they think they will be delayed. Many travel with tight schedules and prefer waiting along the streets. At one time, a passenger even slapped me when I tried to take them to the taxi park,” he said.
Katumba explained that limited transport options on some routes also contribute to the problem. Passengers often use boda bodas to access the town and are dropped off along the streets instead of near taxi parks.
“People use boda bodas and are dropped at roadside stages because taxi parks are not close to the main street. We have taxis from Fort Portal, Kamwenge, Kazo and Kitagwenda, which means vehicles are more than passengers. You cannot expect passengers to walk all the way to the parks,” he said.
He added that weak enforcement has worsened the situation, noting that some vehicles operate illegally without meeting taxi requirements.
“There is no strict enforcement to compel taxis or passengers to use the parks. Even when leaders try, only a few vehicles are arrested while others continue operating. Some private vehicles also carry passengers illegally, especially those heading to Mbarara,” Katumba said.
He further noted that many vehicles operate without proper taxi identification, making it difficult for passengers to distinguish legitimate operators.
“There are many unregistered vehicles on the road. They operate without following the established system and contribute to congestion,” he added.
Katumba also cited high operational costs, including fuel, maintenance, and informal payments at roadblocks, as factors pushing drivers to overload passengers.
“We face many expenses. A driver has to plan for fuel, repairs and even what to give traffic officers. This has encouraged overloading, as drivers try to recover costs,” he said.
He suggested that government should consider appointing a representative for the transport sector in Parliament and streamline multiple taxi associations to reduce operational costs.
Meanwhile, Luka Amanya, a boda boda operator, said their business has been negatively affected by taxis operating from the streets.
“We no longer get customers because taxis pick and drop passengers from the streets. We request authorities to enforce the use of taxi parks so that we can also benefit,” he said.
Ibanda Municipality Deputy Mayor Deus Warugaba acknowledged the challenge, attributing it largely to limited enforcement capacity.
“It is true that vehicles are loading from the streets, which is against traffic regulations. However, we have only two enforcement officers. Ideally, we should have a magistrate and a stronger enforcement team to address this,” he said.
Warugaba added that the municipality plans to intensify enforcement operations.
“Now that elections are over, we shall begin arrests and impound vehicles operating illegally until they return to the gazetted parks,” he said.
He emphasised that operating from taxi parks is essential for order and proper urban management.
“What they are doing is against the law. As leaders, we previously tried to enforce this with police support, but we were unsuccessful. We are determined to revisit the exercise,” he added.
Ibanda Municipal Town Clerk Pius Murekyezi said the council is preparing measures to restore order and improve urban planning.
“We want to see people following rules and regulations, just like in other cities where enforcement has improved. This will benefit businesses by creating space and reducing congestion,” he said.
Murekyezi noted that the municipality will begin engaging operators through formal communication, including warning letters, before taking stricter action.
“We want taxi parks to be fully utilised. Currently, lockups remain empty because operators are not using the facilities, leading to loss of business. We expect positive results once enforcement begins,” he said.
Torch Media Africa
