Taxi drivers under their umbrella body Ugandan Transport Development Agency, (UTRADA) have this morning gone on strike paralyzing traffic around the city.
Their strike was prompted by a new operation by police code named operation “Tembeya salama” which has led to the arrest of at least 1000 drivers in a space of 2 weeks.
At its inception, Kampala metropolitan traffic police commander Norman Musinga said the operation targets drivers without permits, drunk drivers, driving on shoulders among other errors.
According to Musinga, the operation is aimed at improving road safety around the city. The operation follows a successful operation fika salama on Masaka highway, in Eastern Uganda and other parts of the country which has led to a reduction in road accidents.
However, this has not gone down well with taxi drivers in Kampala who accuse police of over stepping their powers.
Mustapha Mayambala the UTRADA chairman said they had given government up to yesterday Sunday to stop the operation and implement a presidential directive issued last year so as to sort the driving permit mess in their business.
But this morning, passengers were left stranded at stages and on road sides as taxi operators decided not to hit the road until their problems have been resolved.
Mayambala argues that arresting taxi drivers for using under class permits contravenes a presidential directive by President Museveni to the police in October last year, where he ordered the force to organize fresh tests for holders of the cancelled under class permits so that those who passed the tests would be issued with new ones.
Musinga however dismissed UTRADA’s threats and complaints saying they are an unserious and unpatriotic lot who want to disrupt an operation that has reduced accidents on Kampala roads and road carnage on High ways.
The minister for Kampala Betty Kamya has called a press conference to address the matter this afternoon at her office in Kampala.
It however remains unclear, if drivers will get back to work by evening.
