Pioneer Easy Bus Company is operating illegally, two months after it rolled out its operations in the city. Florence Kintu, Chairperson Parliamentary committee on Public Service and Local Government says that there are so many things that need to be put in place to legalize the operations of Pioneer Easy Buses.
In February, the parliamentary committee on Public Service and Local Government started investigating the contract between Kampala Capital City Authority and Pioneer Easy Bus Company. However, the committee is yet to make its findings known despite claims by Kintu that their report is ready. Kintu says the committee is waiting for the Speaker of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga to include the report on the order paper for debate.
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Kintu says that even if the report is released there are issues it does not address. She insists that even if President Yoweri Museveni ordered Pioneer Easy Bus to roll out their services they are operating illegally.
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But Ignatius Besesira, a member of the Public Service and Local Government committee says that government forced Pioneer Easy Bus Company to roll out its services because of the threats by Taxi operators to strike. He says that as a result the committee could not go ahead and complete its investigations let alone write a report.
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Sources close to the committee indicate that there is no likelihood that committee will issue any report. Parliament launched investigations into the Pioneer Easy Bus contract following a petition filed by Wakiso, Mukono and Kiira Town council about its operations. The committee was tasked to review specific areas such as exclusivity of routes, prescription of fares, designated bus lanes, routes and stops which will need to be published in the gazette.
But with the buses already out some MPs fill the report has been overtaken by events. In December 2010, Pioneer Easy Bus signed a contract with KCCA to operate public bus transport to help decongest the city. Under the agreement the bus company was expected to bring in a fleet of 521 buses to play various city routes.
On its part KCCA was expected to designate the bus lanes, stops and set fares to be used by passengers. The transport ministry was tasked to formulate an instrument that would facilitate the smooth operations of the bus. However, all the parties failed to meet their contractual obligations.
