Government allocates Shs9.5b to revamp the railway line
Mr Charles Kateeba, the managing director of Uganda Railways Corporation, said this move will bring down the cost of transport, reduce ware and tare of roads and reduce traffic congestion. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Last month, importers started opting for water and railway transport for quicker and safer delivery of goods following increased cases of Covid-19 among the truck drivers.
In order to improve Uganda’s transport system, government has allocated Shs9.5b to revamp the railway line.
This follows a report from the Uganda Railways to the Committee of Parliament on National Economy, which indicated that there is need for government to increase the funding of the agency in order to develop the railway transport.
The railway corporation has disclosed that in the immediate term, government has decided to inject Shs9.5b and this should be extended towards repairing the railway line and equipment.
This is intended to improve the performance of the railway in order to reduce the number of trucks on the road. The corporation says the funds are to be received in a few weeks’ time from now.
Government has in addition approved Shs48b to purchase eight locomotives and also to rehabilitate the Kampala - Malaba line.
Mr Charles Kateeba, the managing director of Uganda Railways Corporation, said this move will bring down the cost of transport, reduce ware and tare of roads and reduce traffic congestion.
According to the Parliament Committee on National Economy Chairperson Ms Syda Bumba, Uganda as a country needed the railway line long time ago.
In support to her submission, Mr Elijah Okupa, who is a member of the committee also asserted that the country need alternative transport means because no one knows when Uganda will be Covid-19 free.
“If we had our own railway line we would not be panicking to see how we can get our cargo in and out of the country and also ensure our trade activities go on despite the transport challenges we are grappling with because of the pandemic,” Mr Okupa says.
The East African Legislative Assembly legislator Mr Mathias Kasamba previously noted that cargo trucks have reduced from about 300 to 100 crossing on a daily basis because of the recent restrictions put at the border points to fight Covid-19.
OPTION
Imports
Last month, importers started opting for water and railway transport for quicker and safer delivery of goods following increased cases of Covid-19 among the truck drivers.
According to the Parliament Committee on National Economy Chairperson Ms Syda Bumba, Uganda as a country needed the railway line long time ago.
Mr Elijah Okupa, who is a member of the committee also asserted that the country need alternative transport means because no one knows when Uganda will be Covid-19 free.
