Charges being imposed in Taxi Parks

PUBLISHED — 8th, July 2020

8 JUNE, 2020

Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs together with the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Security and that Of Local Government commenced the process of regularizing the public transport sector in Kampala and the Greater Metropolitan Area. As a result, over 15,000 commuter taxis have been registered with KCCA and 14,000 with the Ministry of Works and Transport to-date and assigned route charts for the routes on which they will be plying.

There are however a number of concerns and complaints that have come to our attention during the implementation period as we met the various stakeholders. We have subsequently undertaken consultations and investigations into these complaints and would like to notify the owners, drivers and those managing Public Transport that we have instituted the following measures to address their complains:

ISSUE 1: CHARGES BEING IMPOSED IN TAXI PARKS

Complaints have come up from the taxi operators regarding the various charges that are being levied by various Associations in the taxi business. Some of the charges include but not limited to the following.

Stage Fees

800,000/=–2,000,000/=

To be allocated a stage by stage leaders/managers

Entry Fee per entry

1,000/= – 4,500

To allow a taxi enter a park

Hoarding Fees

1,000/= – 3,000/=  

To allow a taxi to park when the stage is full as they wait for their loading turn in a stage

Loading Fees

5.000/=-20,000/=

Every time a taxi loads passengers

Welfare fees

20.000/=-50.000/=

To cater for the welfare of members operating on that stage

Stage leaders

5.000/=-50.000/=

Weekly payments allowances to stage leaders


Therefore, effective 9th/7/2020, all the above charges being charged by various Taxi Associations have been suspended for one MONTH; during this one month, there will be no withdrawal of the collected welfare fees held on the accounts of the various Taxi Associations until the sector is regularized.

All Taxi drivers being forced to pay the above fees are encouraged to report the cases of extra charges to KCCA Park Administrators or via the KCCA Toll Free line 0800 99 0000 or to the nearest Police Station.

KCCA signed an MOU with Private Taxi Parks not to charge parking fees exceeding UGX 3,500 per vehicle per day. We have however received a series of complaints from various individuals in the taxi business indicating that some private parks are charging higher amounts than those agreed upon in the MOU —this is unacceptable.

We have informed all private taxi park owners not to allow payment of stage fees and all other illegal charges and directed them not to charge parking fees exceeding UGX 3,500 per day per vehicle. Failure to comply with the fees determined as per the MOU shall lead to KCCA revoking the MOU and degazetting such parks as several landowners in the city have expressed interest in offering such services at the rate KCCA has set.

ISSUE 2: REGISTRATION OF TAXI DRIVERS/ CONDUCTORS SACCOs

In May 2018, His Excellence the President directed KCCA to sensitize and facilitate taxi drivers and conductors to form SACCOs so as be supported by government. During the one month when the fees have been suspended, all Taxi Drivers/Conductors’ SACCOs  and Associations which are already in existence  should report to the Directorate of Gender, Community Services and Production at KCCA Headquarters (City Hall) Level 2 Wing B, with their registration documents/certificates in order to have their SACCOs regularized.

Those who have not yet formed SACCOs and would like to do so should organize themselves and report to the Directorate of Gender, Community Services and Production at KCCA for guidance on formation of SACCOs.

During the one month, KCCA will engage stakeholders and determine the standard amount of the welfare charges/fees to be paid by each taxi to their registered SACCOs and the frequency of payment e.g. daily, weekly or monthly in consultation with the industry players. 

We have already engaged with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to offer technical support to the Directorate of Gender, Community Services and Production at KCCA in handling the issues of registering Taxi SACCOs.

ISSUE 3: ADDITIONAL TAXI PARKS

In the course of the implementation of the reforms related to public transport, we have been engaging the stakeholders in the industry in which we agreed to gazette additional taxi parks in the various divisions in Kampala and to re-organize route charts which didn’t follow the original Taxi routes to some destinations. Our team from KCCA is working on completing this exercise with the relevant stakeholders.

We are concerned that despite space provided to Taxis in various Parks, some Taxis especially those supposed to operate from USAFI Park continue to load from illegal stages such as: Conrad Plaza, Mega Super market, Shoprite along Entebbe Road, shell on Ben Kiwanuka road, Kibati on Entebbe road etc.  Our enforcement team has been engaging these groups and has been directed to ensure that no taxi establishes a stage and operates from the streets. All taxis are directed to move to the legally gazetted Taxi parks or hoarding spaces provided by KCCA.

We reiterate our earlier position that the administration and management of all taxi parks will be done by KCCA until election of Taxi leaders has been carried out as directed by H.E the President. We therefore, call upon all Taxi Associations to cooperate with us and Ministries of Works and Transport, Security and that of Local government so as to conclude this process and restore order in the industry.

For more information, please call 0800990000, email info@kcca.go.ug and follow @KCCAUG on Social Media

 

Hon. Amongi Betty (MP)

Minister of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs. [Twitter: @KampalaMinister]



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