Taxi fares across Kampala and surrounding areas have risen as a traffic police crackdown on old and mechanically defective taxis, aka DMCs, leaves hundreds of vehicles off the roads. The shortage of taxis has affected passengers along several routes, with operators taking advantage of increased demand to raise fares.
Passengers travelling from Matugga to Kampala are now paying Shs5,000, up from the usual Shs3,000, while those travelling from Kagoma to Kampala are paying Shs3,000 instead of Shs2,000. At Bwaise Taxi Park, the fare to Kampala city centre has doubled from Shs1,000 to Shs2,000.
More than 100 taxis were reportedly parked at Bwaise Taxi Park on Monday as drivers stayed off the roads, fearing that their vehicles could be impounded over mechanical defects. Derrick Ssemmanda, a taxi driver at Luweero Stage, said the crackdown had disrupted their operations, although he acknowledged that it could ultimately improve the condition of taxis.
Ssemmanda said drivers had repeatedly urged taxi owners to meet traffic licensing requirements and maintain their vehicles, but many had ignored the concerns. He said drivers had instead been forced to operate old vehicles while trying to evade traffic enforcement operations and still meet the daily payments demanded by taxi owners.
John Mubiru, a taxi driver from Nakaseke, appealed to the government to give taxi owners more time to repair and maintain their vehicles. Mubiru said the shortage of taxis had contributed to the increase in fares as drivers sought to take advantage of the large number of stranded passengers.
Muzamir Ndibo, the chairperson of Bwaise Taxi Park, said the crackdown had severely affected taxi operations, leaving many drivers without income despite their financial obligations. He said many taxi drivers belong to SACCOs where they save money and appealed to the government to support the SACCOs with financing to enable operators to repair and maintain their vehicles.
He called for support to help drivers access money for vehicle maintenance.
Ndibo also accused traffic police of going overboard by impounding some taxis over what he described as minor mechanical issues, including lack of water in windscreen wipers. The crackdown is part of government efforts to remove mechanically defective vehicles from the roads and improve road safety.
However, taxi operators are calling for more time and financial support to enable owners to repair their vehicles and meet the required safety standards.
