Relocation of city buses stalls as traffic jam bites

Kampala. Even after Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2015 with private investors to construct bus terminals in Kampala suburbs as a means of decongesting the city, nothing has been implemented.
The MoU was signed after successful companies had won the deal to construct terminals in 2012.

According to the relocation programme, buses would be relocated according to the routes they ply and as such, all buses that are currently operating from the city centre would be relocated to three terminals; Nateete, Bwaise and Banda.
Buses plying the northern route would operate from the Bwaise terminal, north of Kampala; buses plying the eastern route would operate from the Banda terminal while buses plying the western route would operate from Nateete/Busega terminal.

Documents seen by this newspaper show that Busega Business centre would construct the Nateete terminal, Banda Developments would construct the Banda terminal while Kalocen investment would construct the Bwaise terminal.
The stalled operationalisation of the bus terminals has had a negative impact on the transport system in the city, with traffic jams soaring.
The gridlock caused by the many vehicles congested in the city eats up into people’s time and causes delay.

Relocation
However, its only Nateete terminal whose construction works has been completed. The construction of Banda and Bwaise terminals is still underway.
But since the completion of Nateete terminal last year, buses have not been relocated there yet.

KCCA is mandated to issue working permits to park operators while the Transport Licensing Board (TLB) issues route charts.
In a letter dated November 3, a copy which Daily Monitor has seen, the Kampala Affairs minister, Ms Beti Kamya, wrote to KCCA executive director, Ms Jennifer Musisi, demanding an explanation as to why the buses have not been relocated to Nateete despite its completion.
“…the purpose of this letter, though, is to ask you to send a self-explanatory brief to me on the relocation of buses to Busega/Nateete transport terminal by Ministry of Works and Transport,” reads the letter in part.

She adds: “We shall not lose sight of the big picture of decongesting the city, redeem government’s image as dependable and supporting a Ugandan who has invested in a useful facility which fits in and would advance the objectives of KCCA and Ministry of Works and Transport”.
During a meeting about relocation of buses on October 12, the Prime Minister, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, directed officials from KCCA and the Ministry of Works and Transport, to expedite the process because the investors had binding MoUs with government.

Ms Musisi referred us to the institution’s public relation’s corporate office, Mr Peter Kaujju, for a comment, who also instead asked us to interview the director of engineering and technical services, Mr Andrew Kitaka.
Mr Kitaka said they played their part by issuing a work permit to the proprietor of the terminal and that the relocation of buses is now the role of TLB. “We finished our part as KCCA. The relocation of buses is supposed to be done by TLB because they are the ones who issue route charts,” he said.

Mr Kitaka reiterated government’s position on the relocation of buses, adding that they want the construction of Banda and Bwaise terminals to be expedited.
According to documents, Nateete bus terminal was approved by KCCA on February 7, 2013, and by the National physical planning body on April 30, 2013.
Despite KCCA’s defense, the minister in her letter raised a red flag against on why they continue to give permits to bus operators to construct bus terminals in the city yet there are already complete terminals such as Nateete.

Last year, a team from TLB and KCCA headed by Minister Kamya inspected the bus parks around the city but found out that many were not gazetted except Nateete.
According to the MoU, the bus terminals ought to be built on at least five acres of land, and must be located between five and 10km from the city centre. The reason for these five acres is to have a separate park for taxis to shuttle passengers who disembark at the terminal and take them to their different destinations.
Available information indicates that Nateete Bus terminal is built on 10 acres while Banda and Bwaise terminals will be built on 13 and eight acres, respectively.

Nateete Bus terminal has the capacity to accommodate 125 buses, each with a sitting capacity of 65 passengers, and 700 taxis.
Also, as government plans to extend railway services to Kyengera, Nateete Bus terminal is being looked at as a possible stop centre.
Although some sources alleged that the terminal is being frustrated by some technocrats from TLB, Daily Monitor could not independently verify this claim.

No explanation
Ms Immaculate Natukunda, the TLB secretary, confirmed the completion of Nateete Bus terminal and the construction of Banda and Bwaise terminals but she declined to explain why the relocation has stalled.
She referred us to the Ministry of Works spokesperson, Ms Susan Kataike, but we were told that she is out of the country.
Ms Monica Ntege Azuba, the Minister of Works, said she needed to crosscheck since she is away in Canada.

Mr Winstone Katushabe, the commissioner of transport at the ministry, without elaborating, also acknowledged that buses have not relocated to Nateete Bus terminal despite its completion.
He instead referred this newspaper to KCCA. But KCCA had already faulted them on the stalled relocation.
However, while working as KCCA acting deputy executive director last year, Mr Kitaka wrote to TLB, querying why they hadn’t relocated the buses to Nateete.

Key issues
Currently, there is a lot of congestion in the city caused by illegal parks in various parts.
The city is also faced with the challenge ofincreasing number of boda bodas, private, and commercial vehicles which worsen the congestion.
Several taxi operators have since abandoned the parks, citing congestion and unfair conditions and have resorted to operating from ungazetted places.

[email protected]