These Uncouth, Unregulated Taxi Folks

Transport by public means in Uganda is getting dirtier and uglier every day.  Apart from wrong elements conniving/hiding in the space of people engaged in this sector, even the true/real employees in the sector themselves have very poor work ethics and are not operating as if they are in for business. They do not respect their clients at all. They do not distinguish between human beings and satchels. They also behave like people with mental malady. This is why they pack twice the number licensed to be aboard their waggons. It is also, why they focus more on the money paid than the well-being of people paying the money.

Boy, have you ever seen this with our taxi drivers? Do they normally talk the truth before taking away your money?  They will pack their colleagues/fellow perjurers in the car just to hoodwink you that they are lacking only one traveller which is –you.  Later, when you board and pay, the brats will start coming out one by one, two by two, three by three, until you will realise that you were the only real traveller aboard. Your time is wasted, but most importantly - your money is gone.   

I think there should come into play a regulation on when to pay the money. The ideal is after the service has been delivered. Reader, don’t you remember days when you paid your hard earned cash to the bus that later got spoilt on the way and you boarded another means at extra cost because they never refund people’s money.

There is also this unnecessary squabble about money and travellers by taxi workers. Have you equally noticed this? I hate it. I wonder if the transport authority in this Country recognises the so called; stage masters, then the brokers, followed by the receipt men, conductors and the drivers. Most times, it is not easy to tell who actually the driver is because all these people also drive. They drive looking for people like wild things and they keep changing until when the taxi is fully packed, then a chapter of chaos commences.

They struggle for the money. I wonder most times why up to about 10 people will want to be paid because travellers have boarded a given taxi. It is as if they create travel plans for individuals from their homes so that they start disagreeing and fighting over pay. It is as if the money paid is just for sharing on the spot and has no use in servicing the car, fuelling and savings for the owner. It is as if people who board are wild-creatures who must be tamed so that they can come and take a route in travel. Do you experience this? Do you like it?  What should our authorities do to change this psychosis?

In my view, our authorities need to seek lessons from European, Asian and American cities where great improvements have been attained in the Public transport sector. These locations have clean, safe, fast and efficient Public transport system. In China, the octopus option makes it quite easy for travellers to manage their transport payment. Here, you do not need to count cash in the hands of someone because it uses electronic smart cards that allows one to pay fares both online and offline.  Otherwise, in their poverty, more Ugandans continue to be exploited by uncouth and unregulated individuals in the transport industry. Our Country needs to do something. See you next week.