Kampala Capital City Authority has assured drivers and other stakeholders that the renovation of the old taxi park is for the better of both the city and their business.
Addressing journalists about the renovation works that are being undertaken by Stirling Civil Engineering Limited and Kiru General Services Limited, KCCA Executive Director, Eng. Andrew Kitaka said by the end of the three months, the facility will have been given a facelift.
“Most people who come to city use public transport and the old taxi park being the oldest terminal it is very crucial but has been in deplorable state. That is why we want to improve it so users can have a conducive facility,”Kitaka said on Tuesday morning.
He noted that such works are part of the bigger plan of reducing congesting and easing travel of all road users in Uganda’s capital.
“We want to rehabilitate the place the place because it is where the journeys begin from. We are not only tarmacking the existing ground but remove it, lay rock fill, some new layers of crushed stones and then put a new layer of tarmac.”
Kitaka explained that new shelters will put in place, walkways, some offices and also install parking management offices so as to monitor the vehicles entering and exiting the facility.
“Once we install these facilities, we shall know which taxis are in the park at any one time. In the new facility, the driver will also be able to know if there is space at his stage and if not he can wait. Once space if available, the system will inform him so he can enter,” the KCCA Executive Director explained.
Several drivers have complained of the timing of the renovation works, saying they will be affected by sitting at home for another three months.
However, Kitaka said this was the best time to do the renovation works to avoid disruption from taxis.
It is important we do it now because it causes less disruption. If we did it when taxis are operating it would be costly to relocate the taxis. We hope the work will be completed in time,” he said.
Not only putting tarmac on existing ground but remove it because it is bad stage, lay rock fill and some new layers of crushed stone
KCCA recently said the taxis in the facility will in the meantime be relocated to other parks as renovation works continue.
The move will see over 200,000 people working and using the taxi park directly every day affected by the renovation works.
The oldest taxi park in Uganda’s capital has for long been in a dire state but efforts to renovate it have always been frustrated by taxi operators who argued that they had not been consulted.
It also remains to be seen whether the worries expressed by taxi operators of losing parking space will come to pass as it was with the redevelopment of the new taxi park .
The renovation of the new taxi park a few years ago saw taxi drivers left with only 40 percent of the space they had previously occupied.
