Taxi operators in Hoima City have issued a warning that they will block the central taxi park and start operating from the streets if the authorities do not fix the park’s worsening condition.
Led by their chairman Humphrey Mugisa, the operators accuse the city leadership and area Members of Parliament of ignoring their concerns despite numerous reports about the park’s poor state. The park, they say, is now riddled with large potholes filled with water, forcing many passengers to abandon it for roadside taxis.
“We pay taxes, but look at how our park looks like,” said Musa Kabaseke, chairman of the Kigorobya stage. “Now we have decided to start planting bananas and yams so that the leaders can understand what we are going through.”
Drivers say the pothole-ridden park has not only affected business but also endangered passengers. Ramadhan Kasigwa, one of the operators, said several passengers have fallen into the flooded potholes, the most recent being an elderly woman who fractured her leg after slipping the previous evening.
Another driver, Godfrey Sunday, said business had sharply declined. “Most cars hardly get customers since many refuse to come to the park. Street taxis that are not regulated get all the customers while we are left here in the mud,” he said.
Chairman Mugisa said the drivers have written several letters to the city council, the Resident City Commissioner (RCC), and Members of Parliament, but the responses have been limited to “next week” promises that never materialize.
“We are very tired. It’s now about four years working in this kind of environment with no help at all. We have resolved to close the park and block one of the streets to operate from there. Maybe then they will understand what we are going through,” Mugisa warned.
He added that the park has become unsafe for night operations due to a lack of security lights. “I even met the State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama, and raised the issue of street lighting, but it’s now a year without any response,” he said.
Responding to the complaints, John Bosco Muhanuzi, the Mayor of Hoima City East Division, admitted the park’s poor condition but cited inadequate funding as the main challenge.
“We would love to work on the park, but we still operate on a small budget despite becoming a city. Once the next phase of the USMID programme comes and we get better funding, the park will be a priority,” Muhanuzi said.
Taxi operators, however, say they are running out of patience and will take action if the situation remains unchanged.