By Diana N. Kintu
A taxi with worn-out tyres, faulty brakes, damaged doors or a failing steering system could soon be taken off the road as the government launches a 100-day operation targeting dangerous “Ganyegenya” taxis across Greater Kampala.
The operation, which starts Monday, is aimed at removing public service vehicles in dangerous mechanical condition (DMC) and preventing vehicles that put passengers, drivers and other road users at risk from continuing to operate.
Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama said the crackdown follows growing concerns over the mechanical condition of some taxis still carrying passengers across the city.
“Some of these taxis are DMCs (dangerous mechanical condition) and are not acceptable on the roads. At some point you find a driver driving while holding the door, which is risky for passengers and the driver himself,” Byamukama said.
The Government’s message is clear: being a taxi does not give a vehicle a licence to remain on the road when it is unsafe.
None of 60 Vehicles Passed Inspection
The scale of the concern emerged during inspections conducted over the past two months, when authorities examined about 60 targeted vehicles.
None of the inspected vehicles met the required safety standards, according to the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Byamukama said some of the taxis being targeted are vehicles that were previously involved in accidents and abandoned in garages before being bought cheaply, repaired and returned to service.
Am old tax posted by minister Fred Byamukama as a vivid example for very old taxi vehicles
“These are cars which got accidents some time back, and the owners abandoned them in the garages. But our own Ugandans buy them from these garages at a very cheap cost. They just put tyres and bring them on the road,” he said.
The Minister stressed that the operation is not intended to disrupt the taxi business or punish operators whose vehicles are properly maintained.
Instead, the focus is on removing vehicles with serious defects, including damaged seats and doors, worn-out tyres and unreliable braking and steering systems.
Police to Take Unsafe Taxis Off the Road
The Uganda Police Force will enforce the operation, with vehicles found operating in dangerous mechanical condition set to be impounded and taken to a parking facility secured by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in Nakawa.
The first phase will cover Kampala and Wakiso, before the operation is extended to other parts of the country.
Taxi operators whose vehicles meet the required safety standards will continue operating.
For thousands of commuters who depend on taxis every day, however, the operation could bring an immediate change to the vehicles available on the road, and potentially force operators to repair or replace vehicles that have been kept in service despite serious defects.
Byamukama said the government supports the public transport sector but will not allow unsafe vehicles to continue putting lives at risk.
The 100-day operation is also intended to establish a more lasting approach to identifying and removing dangerous vehicles while improving safety standards across the transport sector.
For taxi owners, the choice is now becoming harder to ignore: repair a dangerous vehicle and bring it up to standard, or risk seeing it impounded.
For passengers, the operation raises an even more immediate question: the next taxi you board, will it be safe enough to get you home?
Source: Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda.