Lord Mayor Lukwago proposes taxi, boda boda ordinances

KAMPALA- The current chaos in the management of Kampala city transport sector is likely to diminish if the proposed taxi and boda boda ordinances are passed.

The regulations, which were presented to council on Tuesday for the first reading by Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, seek to streamline the city transport business to mitigate wrangles and to ensure proper management.

While presenting the proposed ordinances before the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Council, Mr Lukwago said that although he had sought to have the ordinances enacted in 2013, he was frustrated by some technocrats in the Ministry of Works and Transport who reportedly said that government would prepare comprehensive regulations for the entire transport sector.

“For now, there is no one who can authoritatively command the transport sector in the city because the whole business is unregulated,” Mr Lukwago said. “Recently, President Yoweri Museveni set a new monthly levy for taxis but there is no legal basis for his directive. It’s therefore incumbent upon us to make an ordinance because the law gives us powers.”

He said that the taxi ordinance that was enacted in 1975 and the Boda boda ordinance that was made in 2006 by the defunct Kampala City Council, need some amendments to suit the current city environment.

The proposed ordinances will among others, address the identification of the operators, revenue collection, the apex body of all operators, gazetting stages, and issuance of a city license of operation.

According to section 8 of the 2010 KCCA Act, the Authority shall have power to make ordinances of the Authority not inconsistent with the Constitution or any other law made by Parliament.

However, Mr Samuel Serunkuuma, the Acting KCCA executive director, advised that the ordinances be halted since there is an inter-ministerial committee which is currently making guidelines to streamline the entire transport sector in the country.

“Apparently, there are taxis, boda boda, special hires, lorries which needs regulation which government is currently handling. Why can’t we wait for a regulation that will cover transport players wholesomely instead of doing it in piecemeal?” he asked.

But Mr Lukwago argued that government’s pledge to issue the regulations isn’t forthcoming hence the current gap could breed more chaos in the sector, especially in Kampala.

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