Bodaboda, Taxi Operators Look for Another Venture, New Approved National Transport Policy Excludes You
By Kyeyune Ali
The Minister for Works and Transfer Gen. Katumba Wamala on Thursday revealed that the cabinet passed the new National Transport and Logistics Policy that will see transport sector come to international standards.
While addressing press at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Gen. Katumba asserted that on 29th November 2021,Ugandan government through its cabinet passed the national transport and logistics policy and the policy is to work deliberately after the approval of the cabinet.
The regulatory framework for all transport and logistic infrastructure and service is to help each and every Ugandan to stimulate their standards of living in Kampala City since the policy vision is lamenting that a safe accessible and sustainable intermodal transport system to enhance Uganda’s competitiveness.
According to Katumba, the policy will help to provide reliable,safe,efficient and effective transport infrastructures and services that benefit all people and contribute to the social and economic development of Uganda.
Intermodal transport planning and operations policy,here the government is required to prioritize funding and planning for all transport modes like roads,water,air and railway transport and each of these modes should be connected to each other for a seamless transport service system.
This means that you should be able to board a bus from your home to railway station,take train and get to water and finally take a plane flight in a seamless and Uninterrupted manner.” Said Katumba.
“The taxis and bodabodas are left out in this transport channel to avoid commotion in city centre and they should be outside the city and people should embrace this new development in the country.” He added.
Transport is now regarded as a public service to the people of Uganda as opposed to purely a private affair and now the government has a responsibility of not only investing in transport infrastructures but all in services and operations.
According to Katumba, in the past years,the government has invested in learning the operation of Uganda airlines and they are going to do more investment in operations of roads,railway and water transport services in addition to the investments in infrastructures.
The policy makes a strong case on how government will acquire and protect the transport infrastructure assets.All those that have used especially road reserves for private gain now stay warned because more regulations will be issued for implementation of this policy directive.
Uganda is currently faced with high road accidents over 10 people die on our roads daily due to congestion.The policy has proposed plans to reduce this number by 3thirds in the next 10 years and make our transport services become the safest in Africa.
The Ugandan government is finalizing both the national integrated transport master plan and the national expressway Master plan.These will be used in implementing approved policy. The ministry of transport is now working on printing the approved policy which will be distributed widely to invite all representatives on both national and regional level.