Taxi drivers, conductors to strike over Utoda harassment

Public transport taxi drivers and conductors have on Thursday announced a countrywide demonstration protesting what they called Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (Utoda)’s continued harassment of drivers and charging of exorbitant illegal loading and welfare fees.

The drivers under their umbrella organisation, the Drivers and Conductors association (DACCA) while addressing the media in Kampala today said beginning Monday, July 11, they shall park their vehicles at home until the government prevails over Utoda.

“We have decided to park our vehicles at home come Monday to show dissatisfaction over what Utoda is doing.

They are forcefully and illegally collecting exaggerated welfare dues from us and harassing our drivers to the extent of beating them up like young children,” the DACCA chairperson,Mr Mustafa Mayambala flanked by taxi drivers and conductors said yesterday.

He said Utoda collects unreceipted fees whose accountability cannot be traced anywhere and yet the taxi parks are in a sorry state.
The traders also protested indefinite impounding and clamping of vehicles of those drivers and conductors who fail to pay the welfare fund by Utoda.

Apparently Utoda collects about Shs 4billion monthly and remits Shs 290million which was recently increased to Shs 392million by Kampala City Council Authority.

The Monday strike is however likely to paralyze the transport sector in the country as most of Ugandans use public means to get to their workplaces.

The strike also comes at a time when the country is experiencing hard economic times which are as a result of a rising dollar against a depreciating shilling forcing food and fuel prices up.

The traders are currently on a two day strike as a result of a slow down in business as unprecedented inflation rates of 16 percent bite partly driven by the spikes in the dollar exchange rate.

Mr Mayambala said Utoda impounds vehicles of those that resist paying illegal fees and arrests drivers who are taken to unknown places.
“In the view of the above, we are left with no alternative but to park our vehicles until the government responds to our grievances as it has done so with other sectors,” Mr Mayambala said.

The City mayor, Mr Erias Lukwago last week summoned Utoda and asked him to produce documents outlining their working relationship with KCCA.

Mr Lukwago asked them to produce a memorandum and articles of association, structures of taxi fares levied and copies of audited books of accounts.

KCCA Executive Director, Ms Jennipher Ssemakula Musisi however wrote to Lukwago stopping Mr Lukwago from meeting the officials and demanding contractual documents.

Utoda officials could not be reached for a comment as their official mobile numbers were switched off.