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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police have released 114 taxis that were impounded on Thursday for ferrying passengers without route charts.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson, said they resolved to release the vehicles after the owners agreed to register.
“We have impounded 114 taxis and 1 coaster. They are parked in various Police Stations within Kampala Metropolitan Police but this figure keeps fluctuating as owners of taxis go and register, then police releases the vehicle,” Onyango said.
Kampala Capital City Authority – KCCA and the Ministry of Works and Transport issued directives for all taxis, coasters and buses to register to secure route charts.
Many of the impounded vehicles were found loading passengers at gazetted and non-gazetted parks yet they had not registered with KCCA and the Ministry.
Drivers were required to fill a registration form detailing their name, National Identity Card Number and the KCCA City Operator Identification Number, and attach a copy of the vehicle logbook or a sales agreement, a copy of the driver’s licence and proof of PSV tax payments.
Deputy Kampala metropolitan police commander, Dennis Namuwooza and traffic police commander for Kampala, Norman Musinga, led forces that raided parks where several taxis were found loading without route charts.
By evening hours dozens of passengers were stranded in New Taxi Park, Usafi Market park, Namayiba bus park, Kisenyi bus park and Kisenyi bus terminal.
Godfrey Mudombole was found stranded in New Taxi Park after failing to secure a taxi to Iganga. He says that he left his home in Mutundwe at 6 am hoping to catch an early taxi to Iganga but all was in vain.
Flavia Kiyimba was found stranded in Usafi Market Park waiting for taxis to Entebbe.
Kiyimba said she had come to buy items for her business but she was disappointed as security forces forcefully closed shops from which she was buying.
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