Kampala: Old Taxi Park to Reopen on October 20

The old taxi park will be reopened on October 20, even before completion of the renovation works, Kampala Capital City Authority- KCCA has resolved.

A report presented by Hakim Kizza, the Executive Secretary for Engineering and Works to the KCCA council on Thursday, indicates that the city executive committee had held a meeting with the technical staff and agreed to have the park reopened.

Renovation of the park started in May 2020 and was planned to be completed in three months. However, the renovations took longer than expected as a result of heavy rains, and COVID-19 lockdown restrictions which delayed the planned reopening of the park. So far, the authority has completed works on the carpet, drainage system and steps.

Kizza says KCCA is expected to complete renovation of the administration office in the park, demarcate stages,  and erect a fence around the park within the remaining time ahead of reopening.

But, the Director for Revenue Collection Samuel Sserunkuuma who represented the Executive Director said that it would be tricky to open the park immediately since they need at least three weeks to complete the works. He says other works including installation of security lights will be done after resumption of operations.

The Resident City Commissioner Hussein Hud also asked KCCA to expedite the works. He said there were some taxi operators’ groups that were planning to disorganize KCCA plans but warned that no one will frustrate efforts to organise the work of taxi operators.

Meanwhile, a taxi driver who identified himself as Semujju stage says they had organized a protest today October 1, to forcefully bring their vehicles into the park because they are tired of being exploited on the streets.