Government issues tough measures for Public Transport to operate again

Denzel Shantel May 28, 2020 5:47 pm

The Minister for Kampala capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Hon. Amongi Betty Ongom has issued tough guidelines that the public transport will follow in this post-COVID-19 lockdown operations.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni directed that Public transport should resume on 4th June with half the capacity and must follow the guides set up by the government as below;

As you are aware, H.E the President announced that Public transport shall start operations on 4th.6.2020. Ministry of Kampala Capital city and Metropolitan Affairs has therefore been tasked to develop guidelines for the safe opening of public transport in compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) developed in consultations with Ministry of Health.

Subsequently, Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs presented a detailed plan for the safe operations of Public Transport during the COVID 19 period which was approved byCabinet on Monday 25th May 2020.

As you are aware, Kampala’s day population isabout 5 million and 2 million by night. This implies that about 3 million people come in and out the city on a daily basis.

Subsequently, we have developed guidelines for the safe opening of Public transport as follows:

1. Public transport owners must adopt modalities for the protection of public transport workers during the pandemic with adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), reducing direct contact between staff and passengers, checking temperature and using any other system of monitoring for possible symptoms.

2. They shall also operate at half capacity as per the Directives of HE the President of the Republic of Uganda.

3. No touts will be allowed in the Parks/ Stages: Passengers shall line on clearly marked points at each stage while Taxis shall park at designated areas in accordance with 2 meters as per the SOP for PSV.

4. Each Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV) is expected to have hand washing facilities while all passengers must wear a mask. No passenger should be allowed in the PSV without a mask. A vehicle found carryingpassengers without a mask risk losing their PSV License.

5. Get the detailed SOPs from KCCA stipulating the number of passengers and other measures related to protective equipment for operating a PSV within the GKMA beginning 29th May 2020.

GUIDELINES FOR OPERATING PSV:

TAXIS

1. Beginning today 29th/5/2020, all taxi operators should report to KCCA to be assigned the parks/stages and routes where they will be operating.

2. After obtaining stage/route where you will operate, you will then report to Ministry of Works and Transport to obtain a Temporary Route chart valid until 31st Dec. 2020.

3. For now, the mandatory fees payable are: PSV license, renewal of driving permit if expired and third party insurance. All other government fees are payable by 31st Dec 2020 giving a grace period of six (6) months.

4. The six months grace period which expires 31st Dec 2020 is to allow public transport operators to obtain a permanent route chart, color code for GKMA and other user fees. Effective 1st January 2021, all vehicles that would have not complied shall not be permitted to operate in the GKMA.

5. Every Park will be assigned KCCA officials to manage.

The table below summarizes key activities to be undertaken during the grace period.

ACTION	DATES	IMPLEMENTING MDA
• Sensitization for Inspection of Passenger Service Vehicles (PSV) at SGS	Voluntary testing 6 months 1st Jan 2021 mandatory with PSV license renewal	MoWT
• Booking system to be available for inspection of vehicles	Six (6) months from 1st July 2020	MoWT/SGS
• Registration and Issuance of Route Number	Starting from 29th May 2020	KCCA
• Verification of the PSV and the Driving Permit	Starting from 29th May 2020	MoWT
• Allocation of Route Chart (By issuance of a Temporary Route Chart valid up to 31st Dec. 2020)	Starting from 29th May 2020	MoWT
• Allocation of Permanent Route Chart upon payment of park user fees	Six months’ voluntary payment starting now. From 1st Jan 2021, it will be mandatory	MoWT

BUSES

In the case of Buses, they should report directly to Ministry of Works and transport for guidance.

The table below summarizes key activities to be undertaken during the grace period.

• Sensitization of all bus operators on SOPs	Starting 29th May 2020	MoWT
• Sensitization of Bus Terminal Management	Starting 29th May 2020	MoWT/ KCCA
• Inspection of all buses at SGS	By 4th June 2020	MoWT
• Verification, renewal and issuance of PSVs for Buses	By 4th June 2020	MoWT
• Verification of PSV Driver Badges	By 4th June 2020	MoWT

Boda Bodas

The Boda Bodas play a critical role in transporting a good number of people in the city but they need to be regulated to enhance the safety of the public. Government is in the process of finalizing the extent of a boda boda freezone and the gazetting of boda boda stages in the City. Future Boda boda operations will also be subjected to Standard Operating Procedures. Gazetting of stages and their return to the city will be communicated in due course.

At the moment, boda bodas will continue to carry luggage and maintain the curfew time as per the Presidential Directive.

We are working with different developers to digitalized public transport management including developing booking applications.

Amongi Betty Ongom, MP

Minister for Kampala capital City and Metropolitan Affairs.