Taxi Drivers Protest Enforcement Over Poor Mpererwe-Buwambo Road

Taxi Drivers Protest Enforcement Over Poor Mpererwe-Buwambo Road

Taxi drivers operating along the Mpererwe-Buwambo road have protested continued enforcement against vehicles deemed unfit for the road, arguing that authorities should first address the poor state of the road before targeting motorists.

The drivers say the 20.5-kilometre road is riddled with potholes, dust and loose stones, which they blame for frequent vehicle breakdowns and high maintenance costs.

Kintu Shafick, a taxi driver who has operated from Mpererwe Taxi Stage for several years, said his vehicle was in good condition when he acquired it about a year ago but quickly deteriorated because of the poor road conditions.

“I had the vehicle for about five months when we started having disagreements with the owner because he could not understand why a new vehicle was spending so much time in the garage,” Kintu said.

He said drivers have little choice but to navigate the potholes, making it difficult to keep their vehicles in good mechanical condition.

“There is no driver who can drive comfortably on this road. You are constantly dodging potholes. Because of the poor road, we are always repairing our vehicles, and passengers are also affected,” he said.

Drivers operating from Mpererwe, Nammere and Kiteezi taxi stages and ferrying passengers to Buwambo said they are particularly frustrated by enforcement operations targeting vehicles whose condition they say is partly a result of the road.

They argue that authorities should repair the road before enforcing vehicle standards.

“The same authorities chasing us over our vehicles are the ones who promised to work on this road. Let them first fix the road, then they can come and enforce the standards,” one of the drivers said.

The drivers acknowledged that some taxis operating on the route have serious mechanical and safety defects, including faulty or missing lights. However, they argued that vehicles operating on such a difficult road require stronger mechanical resilience.

“These are the vehicles that can survive this road. If you bring a new vehicle here and drive it through these potholes every day, it will also end up in the garage,” another driver said.

The poor road conditions have also affected passengers, with taxi operators sometimes parking their vehicles to avoid further damage, particularly during enforcement operations.

Passengers using the route have consequently been left stranded at different stages as operators withdraw vehicles from the road.

The drivers are calling for urgent rehabilitation of the Mpererwe-Buwambo road, saying improved road conditions would not only reduce vehicle breakdowns but also make it easier for authorities to enforce vehicle safety standards.

For the drivers, the argument is simple: fix the road first, then enforce the vehicles.