There is heavy deployment of police at the Old Taxi Park in Kampala following reports that taxi operators were planning to forcefully occupy the park.
Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said that they received information that taxi drivers wanted to enter the park before its completion.
In 2020, Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA started reconstruction works at the Park promising to complete it in three months. However, to date construction works are still going on. The contractors Sterling Construction Company Limited are yet to complete constructing passenger waiting shades and toilets.
When construction started, taxis from the old Taxi Park were relocated to Usafi and the New Taxi Park, while others resorted to parking on the streets, causing congestion which has affected traffic flow since then. The most affected roads are Namirembe, Kafumbe Mukasa, Nakivubo and Barkley road, which all lead to the New Taxi Park.
Rashid Ssekindi, the Chairperson of Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators said that they held several meetings with the KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka and the Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago and agreed to elect leaders of the 33 stages in the park, which they did and handed over the report to KCCA.
According to Ssekindi, they should be allowed to use the park as the contractor completes the works.
He however denied that the operators were planning to forcefully occupy the park.
On Tuesday, the Minister-in-charge Kampala Hajat Minsa Kabanda told Members of Parliament that the park will be opened after a fence has been erected, completion of the toilets and walkways especially for people with disabilities.
