Where did Ubuntu in our taxis go

Back in the day, the corporate world, students, generally Ugandans loved taxis. Taxis were so loved, that they inspired a TV show called Mini Buzz, remember? It depicted the communal discussion people had in taxis.

Taxis had an unspoken Ubuntu or communal code to them. For example, if you entered a taxi, you had to greet your neighbour and it was embarrassing to eat without sharing.
Anyone could strike up a conversation. Everyone would participate. Or at least, there would be two or more passengers having a conversation.
During the back-to-school period, taxi passengers would help students carry their luggage. If a traveller was going somewhere for the first time and needed direction, all the passengers would eagerly give directions.

Solitude in taxi

Today, the unspoken Ubuntu code in taxis has been broken. The first thing a passenger does when they enter a taxi is get on their phone or plug ear gadgets into their ears.
Seemingly, the code has shifted from, ‘It is embarrassing to eat alone in a taxi,’ to ‘It is embarrassing to eat in a taxi.
The only people who eat in taxis are the youth, specifically, university and high school students and that could be because they do not know the unspoken Ubuntu taxi code.

There are hardly any conversations held between passengers. The conversations that happen in taxis these days are between passengers and anyone else on the other side of their mobile phone line.
The other talk that happens in taxis is, ‘Conductor mumaaso awo,’ and, ‘Abemabega muweleze ku sente.’
During the back-to-school period, school-going children who use taxis as a means of transportation to school look scared and confused.
Barely anyone is willing to help them out, if they do not ask and some of them don’t have the courage to ask for help. One cannot tell which traveller is heading somewhere for the first time and needs help. Everyone looks like they know exactly where they are going.

My experience

I often travel from Kampala to Jinja. I resorted to taking a boda from Kampala to Wantoni Taxi Stage. It is from there that I board a taxi to Jinja. I do this to cut the time I spend in taxis.
I do not practice Ubuntu in taxis anymore. As a young girl, I thought it was a law to greet people when you enter a taxi. I don’t think like that anymore. Also, I am a grown woman with responsibilities now.
When I get in a taxi, the first thing I do is check my ‘to do’ list. I tick off all the things I have done, then strategise on how to get the rest done.
Back in the day, I would carry snacks and make sure to share them with the passenger (s) next to me.
Now, I am a bit different, to say the least. These days, I travel in the evenings so my mood is a tired one. The last thing I want to do is converse.

Recently, a seemingly young gentleman tried to strike up a conversation with me in a taxi but I was not having it. He greeted me. I greeted him back. He started asking random questions and making random statements.
Initially, I responded, when I realised that the conversation was stretching to unnecessary lengths. I decided to disengage. I served him with silent treatment.
I also made sure to back the silent treatment up with an unpleasant facial expression. He later moved to another seat and I was glad. I was too tired to talk.

Others say

Ubuntu in taxis is a cultural practice that has come a long way. I engaged some people about it and this is what they had to say.
Sam Kitibwa, 32, a teacher, says Ubuntu in taxis is meet, greet, fellowship. It is knowing the people you have met in the taxi.
“Back in the day, we had cheap taxis called Kajambiya. We used to pay Shs 300 from from Mukono to Lugazi. It later increased to Shs700 and we thought it was too expensive then,” Kitibwa recounts adding that children used to sit on the ‘kameme,’ (the space between the engine and the first row behind the driver’s seat).
At that time, children were exempted from paying.

“As children, our parents told us to greet everyone in the taxi and that is how conversations began. Because of Ubuntu, passengers would take the responsibility to make sure another passenger got their belongings back if they lost them. It was easier because people shared phone numbers and addresses.

Now we have the kigege and drone taxis. The current taxis are uncomfortable, squeezed and ‘fly’.
In these taxis, we are sitting on each other. There’s also poor ventilation. When such a taxi gets into an accident, the chances of surviving are slim to none.
Today, no one is allowed to sit on the ‘kameme.’ either by law or something. Children are no longer taken for free.
Now if you forget your phone or a very important document on your seat, no one is going to bother. The least they are going to do is tell the driver or conductor to take them to the police.

Why Ubuntu in taxis died

A passenger boards a taxi and all he remembers are the unfinished assignments at work, school or their business. Such a person will spend 30 minutes in a taxi to finish some work.
Operators show hypocritical Ubuntu when they want you to enter. They carry your luggage and convince you that they will make sure you reach your destination even if they will not. The moment you enter, you are treated like a parcel or luggage.
When you go to other districts, the drivers and conductors pack you like luggage. Taxi operators don’t allow passengers to express themselves.

When they overspeed and a passenger asks them to slow down, they say things such as, ‘Buy your own.’
Innocent Atukwase Kakuru, an engineer, says in the past, people had money and still used taxis.
Nowadays, even if you have Shs10 million, you buy yourself a car. Taxis have been left for, ‘a certain class of people because people no longer want, ‘obuvuyo (chaos)’ that come with taxis.
Other times it depends in some taxis, people care about others while in others, they just pickpocket you. I think it is because of influence, especially social media. If someone slapped someone in a taxi, people would just record.
Idi Kawala, a chairman of Tororo stage, Njeru Taxi Park, who started as a conductor and now has his own taxis says in the 2000s, people got along in taxis.

“Back in the day, people were many and taxis were few, also people were many and taxi drivers were few. So much has happened and so much has changed.
Competition increased. People flocked the business because it is easy to calculate, even if you are in America.
As they increased, the money we used to receive reduced but our needs remained d the same. This attracted the wrong people into the business.

Sometimes as a driver, I calculate that I am going to get Shs222,000 on a journey but on reaching, the conductor gives me one hundred and seven thousand shillings instead. We are definitely not going to get a long.
The next thing I am going to say is secret but I will tell you. When passengers get a long, it is bad for business.
If I take one passenger for ten thousand and another for fifteen thousand to the same destination, their communication, sharing and sitting together is bad for me.
So there are games we play as taxi operators to make sure they don’t relate. We even separate them.