Betty Amongi, the Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Minister, has released Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be followed by public transport operators ahead of the reopening of the public transport space next month.
In his previous address, President Yoweri Museveni announced measures to ease the Covid19 lockdown, including allowing taxis, buses and private cars to return to the road after almost two months of suspension of transport save for essential workers.
The guidelines, which are presented below, were approved by the cabinet on May 25.
Public transport owners have been asked to adopt protective measures (use of masks, sanitizers. checking temperature, and any other system of monitoring possible symptoms of Covid19).
Public means will operate at half capacity.
Not touts (Bweyogerere – Kireka – Banda – Nakawa, Sister ogenda?) will be allowed in parks/stages; passengers will line on clearly marked points at each stage while taxis shall park at designated areas separated by 2 meters.
Passenger Service Vehicles (PSVs) are expected to have hand washing facilities and all passengers will have wear a mask. It’s a MUST.
A vehicle found with a passenger without a mask will lose its PSV license.
Vehicle owners have been asked to get SOPs from KCCA starting tomorrow, May 29.
Beginning tomorrow, May 29, taxi operators will report to KCCA to be assigned parks/stages and routes they’ll be operating.
They’ll then report to the ministry of works and transport to obtain a temporary route chart until Dec. 31.
For now, taxi operators will pay mandatory fees in PSV license, renewal of driving permit if expired and third party issurance.
All other government fees are payable by Dec. 31 with a grace period of six months.
This grace period, which expires on Dec. 31, is to allow public transport operators to obtain a permanent route chart, color code for Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) and other user fees.
Effective Jan 1, 2021, all vehicles that would not have complied won’t be permitted to operate in the GKMA.
Every park will, going forward, be assigned KCCA officials for management.
Activities
In its plans to reshape public transport in Kampala, the government plans to do the following:
Starting Jan 1, 2021, vehicle owners will be sensitized on inspection by SGS after which there will be voluntary testing for 6 months.
SGS will then launch a book system that will test vehicles starting July 2020.
From May 29, 2020 vehicles will be registered and assigned route numbers. This will be done by KCCA.
On the same day, which is tomorrow, vehicles will be verified, looking at different aspects, including a driver owning a driving permit. This will be done by the works and transport ministry.
Route charts assigned to vehicles are valid till Dec. 31.
When these charts expire, starting Jan. 1, vehicles will then get permanent route charts after paying park user fees. This will be undertaken by the works ministry.
Credit: www.mondaytimes.co.ug
