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Kampala’s ‘sick’ PSVs and how they trouble passengers

Saturday June 22 2019
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The interior of a ramshackled taxi at the Old Taxi Park in Kampala, Uganda. PHOTO | MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI | DAILY MONITOR

By MONITOR

On Monday this week, 14 people narrowly escaped death after a taxi (a public service vehicle) they were travelling in knocked a barricade as it tried to negotiate a corner at Namungoona in Uganda’s capital Kampala, swerving before it screeched to a halt.

Passengers frantically alighted from the taxi amid hysterical screams, attracting the attention of passersby.

Faced with a barrage of insults from the passengers, the driver, who only identified himself as Mr Sserwadda, said the taxi brakes had failed.

The Namungoona incident represents one of the many unregistered accidents both in the city and across the country caused by mechanical problems in taxis.

A BIG PROBLEM

The Daily Monitor for two days conducted spot checks on vehicle conditions on Kampala roads, and at taxi parks and stages. It found that many taxis are in a sorry state.

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The mini survey was prompted by the ever-increasing breakdowns of taxis on the roads and their alarming poor hygiene.

If it is not faulty lights or side mirrors, then it could be worn out tyres and steering wheels; dirty seats, some riddled with bedbugs; and excessive exhaust smoke.

The poor mechanical conditions are made worse by errant drivers who disregard traffic rules, sending passengers into harm’s way.

Mr Charles Ssembabulidde, the traffic police spokesperson, says public service vehicles (PSVs) should have a good body, good tyres, well-fitted chairs, sliding windows, working lights and a number plate, and they should be clean when ferrying passengers.

While a taxi is required to carry only 14 passengers, many taxi operators flout this traffic rule and ferry excess passengers.

It is common to find passengers stranded on the road after their PSV experiences a mechanical breakdown. Such incidences usually cause unnecessary traffic snarl-up and delays.

Due to limited options of public transport in the city, passengers have no choice but to board these taxis.

Although the city authority recently came up with a multimodal transport master plan for the Kampala Metropolitan area to decongest the city and make it safer, the plan is yet to be rolled out as there is no funding.

The master plan seeks to construct and operate a robust mass rapid system with buses and Light Rail Transit by 2040. It is also set to ensure an environment-friendly transport system and promote sustainable mobility.

But its delayed implementation means that passengers will have to brace for tough public transport conditions which are compounded by incessant wrangles among the different factions of the city’s transport players.

TAXI DRIVERS

Mr Yasiin Ssematimba, the chairperson of Kampala Operational Taxi Stages Association (Kotsa), admits that many PSVs in the city have mechanical faults that need to be fixed.

He, however, blames authorities for dragging their feet on enforcing traffic laws when taxis flout regulations, saying this enables impunity on roads and endangers passengers.

“Our role as leaders stops at taxi stages and parks and we usually chase away taxi operators whose vehicles are in a sorry state because we are mindful of the lives of the passengers who are actually our bosses. Now after chasing them, they start roaming on streets to pick passengers and some of them actually work at night,” he says.

A study conducted in 2018 during the compilation of the Greater Kampala’s multi-modal transport masterplan found that taxis account for 22 per cent of the mode of transport in Kampala Metropolitan. Walking accounts for 46 per cent, boda-bodas 17 per cent while 13 per cent of people drive (use private cars).

But with taxis being the second highest mode of transport in the metropolitan area, it implies that poorly maintained taxis expose many passengers to risk.

Several taxi operators say that while it is a requirement for every transport operator to have a passenger service car in good mechanical condition, the cost of maintenance or of buying a new car is high.

As such, they use second-hand taxis.

“It is the matter of how you service it and operate but this isn’t sustainable since such taxis keep breaking down every time, even when passengers are aboard,” said Mr Yunus Muzaganda, a taxi driver.

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A taxi on Sir Apollo Kagwa Road in Kampala, Uganda, on June 20, 2019. PHOTO | MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI | DAILY MONITOR

NO INSPECTION

Last year, Parliament banned the importation of vehicles that are between nine and 15 years old from the date of manufacture, according to the Amended Traffic and Road Safety Act, 2018 to reduce pollution.

But the halt on the inspection of all public service vehicles by the same Parliament in 2017 is likely to worsen the already fragile situation.

For the last two years, there has been no inspection of public service vehicles.

Parliament in 2017 suspended the mandatory motor vehicle inspection after Mukono County legislator Muyanja Ssenyonga raised a red flag against the ‘exorbitant’ inspection fees.

Mr Muyanja also argued that it was unrealistic for government to set a short deadline for inspection of public service vehicles yet the country has few inspection centres.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga later directed the parliamentary committee on physical infrastructure to investigate the matter and compile a report.

The committee’s report, which was tabled on February 9, 2018, recommended that the Ministry of Works and Transport should renegotiate the vehicle inspection contract which it had awarded to Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) in 2015.

Nakifuma County MP Robert Kafeero Ssekitoleko, who chairs the Parliamentary committee on physical infrastructure, told Daily Monitor in an interview that Parliament would next week discuss the report which recommended termination of SGS’ motor vehicle inspection deal.

TRANSPORT PLAN

Traffic police spokesman Mr Ssembabulidde recently came up with a plan to work with leaders in local governments to crack down on vehicles that are unfit to be on the road.

He, however, said that traffic police do their best to enforce the law.

But he noted that owners of old taxis tend to hide during day and only work in the evening.

“We shall continue cracking down on them because it is our mandate as traffic police to ensure safety on the roads. Most of the taxis we have impounded are still at our various police stations. I advise operators in the transport business to ensure that they carry out repairs on their vehicles to avoid fines,” Mr Ssembabulidde said.

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