Unregistered boda boda riders banned from city
What you need to know:
- Authorities say the exercise is intended to restore order and ensure proper planning for the riders in Kampala.
Government has banned all unregistered boda boda cyclists from the five divisions of Kampala.
The Kampala minister, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, said only those boda boda riders who took part in the just-concluded census will be allowed to operate in the capital city.
She said those registered would be trained, given a security code, jackets and would operate from gazetted stages.
“On Monday (today), those who would have not registered, will not be allowed to operate in the city. They will first stay at home as only those registered by KCCA and by the ministry of Kampala, will be allowed to operate in Nakawa, Kawempe, Rubaga, Makindye and Central,” she said last Friday while addressing the media in Kampala.
The minister said by Thursday last week, about 35,000 had been registered, although they had expected 40,000 of them to have registered by close of last Friday.
On the issue of reducing the licence fee for boda bodas, the minister said she would first consult relevant stakeholders, including KCCA, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and the Finance ministry before a final decision is made.
She also advised vendors operating on the city streets to return to their respective markets.
In an earlier interview with this publication, the head of Public and Corporate Affairs at KCCA, Mr Simon Kasyate, said the deadline of September 16, would not be extended.
“The deadline shall not be extended. We appeal to all those who have not registered to make it a point to register by end of Friday, September 16, 2022. Failure to do so shall be perilous to the enjoyment of their operating rights in Kampala,” Mr Kasyate said.
Boda boda census commenced on August 15 and ended on September 30. However, the exercise flopped during the first week, prompting KCCA to extend the deadline to September 16 to enable more riders to participate.
Some of the riders had failed to register over lack of required documents.
Others shunned the exercise reasoning that they had already been registered by people who had charged them a registration fee of Shs60,000.
The Executive Director of KCCA, Ms Dorothy Kisaka, then said the census is intended to restore order and ensure proper planning for the riders.
Previously, the boda boda census was carried out at selected schools in the divisions of Kawempe, Rubaga, Makindye, Central and Nakawa since learners were still in holidays.
The census centres were later relocated to division head offices.
Govt directs Entebbe route taxi operators to vacate old taxi park
In a related development, all taxi operators who ply Kampala-Entebbe route have been told to immediately relocate to Usafi market from the Old Taxi Park and other stages in a bid to create order in the city.
“KCCA had engagements with stakeholders in the public transport industry and my ministry to streamline operations of Entebbe stages that had shifted operations from Usafi to the old taxi park. It was agreed that all the Entebbe road-based taxis are gazetted to operate in Usafi and Kisenyi taxi parks,” Kampala minister Minsa Kabanda ordered.
She said the stakeholders meeting also resolved that KCCA enforcement team removes all illegal stages, especially on Entebbe Road, including those at Konrad Plaza and Kitabi, adding that the team should have a permanent presence to deter any illegal loading.
She further said the contractor and KCCA had been asked work around the flyover project to ensure that street lighting is functional and adequate space is left for pedestrians heading to Usafi Park.
The stretch between the Old Taxi Park and Usafi has been a den of pickpockets but the minister says security has been tightened.
The chairman of Old Tax Park, Mr Karim Mulindwa, urged government to ensure that walkways are put in place along the Kampala flyover construction area to ensure safety.
Don’t want to miss out on any story? For updates on all Monitor stories, follow this link on Telegram: https://t.me/dailymonitor