Clearing and forwarding firms have to incur extra costs to move their in-bound cargo from the railway line to the road transport, following the collapse of the bridge in Iganga.
Freight companies have a limited time to remove their cargo from the now congested Iganga railway station and employees have to work extra hours to have their cargo delivered on time.
Goretti Zalwango the Administrator of Interfreight Uganda Limited says her company has shifted their railway department to Iganga, to over see the transfer of cargo from railway to the road.
She however says that activities have been paralyzed because they are unable to make full use of the railway line.
//Cue in: iIt has really affected us#
Cue out: #on our part.i//
On the other hand, Kuehne and Nagel, another clearing and forwarding firm is unable to transport cargo with an axle load beyond 26tonnes. Last year, government introduced a maximum axle load of 26tonnes to protect the roads from damage.
Samuel Asiimwe, a worker at Kuehne and Nagel says the company has resorted to dealing with clients with cargo which can be moved by other means other than railway.
//Cue in: iBy the time railway#
Cue out: #using road service.i//
Clearing and forwarding Companies have to beat a 30-day deadline or face demurrage in Mombassa.
But most of the companies are not happy about Rift Valley Railways, which has maintained the same cost of transporting the goods up to Iganga rather than Kampala.
