The Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association, UTODA, has been at the forefront of public transport particularly in Kampala, but also around the country. The association, a collection of owners and drivers of mini-bus commuter taxis, has run the public transport system in Uganda for over two decades.
UTODA was born out of the initiative of private entrepreneurs, to fill a gap, as Uganda Transport Company and People’s Transport Company, both bus companies, were on a downward trend.
On the streets of Kampala, the taxis have been known to provide reliable and fairly cheap transport, but to other road users, they have also built quite a reputation for being notorious abusers of traffic rules.
Early this year, UTODA lost its tender to run public transport in Kampala, as had been issued by Kampala City Council. Under the Kampala Capital City Authority, the administrators of the city want to organize public transport by introducing commuter buses. This has generated debate and protests from the UTODA members.
In this edition, we look back at the history of UTODA, the way it has managed to run city transport, by regulating itself, through all these years.
We also look at the challenges the association has had, and also analyze whether the introduction of buses will organize the city transport.
Check our Home Page for details on which station to tune into, and feel free to give us your feedback.
