Kalangala taxi operators park vehicles over new Masaka route rules

section of drivers with their taxis parked at Kalangala District headquarters on June 5, 2026 in protest against new operating guidelines. Photo | David Sekayinga

A section of taxi drivers on the Kalangala–Masaka route have suspended operations over new guidelines they say will cut daily earnings and inconvenience passengers traveling from the island district to the mainland.

The disputed guidelines were adopted during a meeting of commuter taxi operators in Masaka City on May 30, 2026. Drivers agreed each vehicle would operate only four days a week. The meeting also resolved that only two taxis from Kalangala would be allowed to work daily, down from four, and that morning operating hours would end at 8:00am instead of 11:00am.

A timetable reflecting the changes was drafted and circulated to ferry operators at Bugoma Landing Site in Kalangala and Bukakata Landing Site in Masaka to ensure compliance.

However, some Kalangala-based drivers rejected the resolutions and parked their vehicles pending intervention by district leaders.

Mr Salim Nyonyintono, a taxi driver in Kalangala, said changing operating hours from 11:00am to 8:00am would severely affect business and disadvantage Kalangala operators compared to those from Masaka.

“We have only four cars coming from Kalangala connecting to Masaka daily. Now they want only two cars to work daily, leaving more cars coming from Masaka to operate for the rest of the day, which is unfair,” he said.

Mr Nyonyintono wondered why decisions affecting them are usually made in Masaka.

“What they [Masaka based taxi drivers] decide amongst themselves is what they implement,” he said.

He explained drivers had accepted previous resolutions to streamline operations, but considered the latest restrictions too harsh.

“We have been operating up to 11:00am, but now reducing that to 8:00am leaves us with no passengers,” he said.

Under the new arrangement, the first taxis departing Kalangala begin loading between 4:00am and 6:00am to catch the 8:00am ferry from Bugoma to Bukakata. Traditionally, a second batch loaded between 8:00am and 10:00am for the midday crossing. Taxis from Masaka to Kalangala have used the same schedules.

With the new guidelines, taxis from Masaka mainland will continue operating between 7:00am and 6:00pm.

According to operators, the Kalangala–Masaka stage has 40 registered taxis, with four from Kalangala and 36 from Masaka. Under the new rules, only 20 taxis will operate daily, including two from Kalangala and 18 from Masaka.

Mr Justus Muchunguzi, who coordinates passengers with available taxis in Kalangala, said the changes would hit Kalangala Town Council residents hardest.

“Taxis working from Kalangala to Masaka get their passengers in areas of Kalangala Town Council while others also operate in Bujumba and Mugoye sub-counties,” he said.

Mr Muchunguzi said limiting Kalangala taxis to 8:00am would increase transport costs.

“Passengers were used to these taxis picking them up from their homes. So, limiting them to only 8:00am means passengers will incur extra costs in hiring boda bodas to reach places where they can get a taxi heading to Masaka,” he said.

However, chairperson of drivers on the route, Mr Ronald Mutebi, defended the guidelines, saying they respond to declining passenger numbers.

“We used to have passengers dealing in timber and fish, but such businesses are no longer viable in Kalangala. Sometimes a taxi uses fuel of between Shs100,000 and Shs150,000 to transport only three passengers,” he said.

“That is the reason we decided to divide these days in a month so that each taxi can be able to work. It is a way to reduce the number of taxis operating per day while ensuring drivers continue earning a living,” he added.

Mr Mutebi said operators have increasingly relied on cargo transport because passenger numbers have dropped significantly.

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