By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
Mbale City authorities have revealed plans to relocate all Taxis that are currently parking along Kumi Road. These Taxis are the ones to operate between Mbale City – Kumi/Soroti – Sebei – Sironko – Bulambuli and Karamoja.
Speaking to the Media today Thursday, 27th February, 2025, James Kutosi, the Mbale City Mouthpiece revealed that the City council intends to revive the Kumi Road Taxi Park to create space for taxis.
This move follows a crackdown on taxis operating outside designated areas, resulting in the impoundment of five taxis and the arrest of 10 drivers last week.
Taxi drivers claim that the main taxi park is too small, as it was sold to private developers who built structures, leaving insufficient space for all taxis.
Kutosi says the Kumi Road Taxi Park was originally designed for taxis traveling to specific regions like Karamoja, Teso, Sebei Sironko and Bulambuli but drivers abandoned it, claiming they couldn’t get clients.
He says the park was subsequently occupied by tipper trucks. Kutosi stated that the city plans to remove the tipper trucks and relocate them to a nearby lorry park, freeing up space for taxis.
However, Esero Mafabi, Chairperson of the Mbale Tipper-Lorry Driver’s Association, expressed willingness to share the park space with taxis, arguing that the park is large enough to accommodate both taxis and tipper trucks.
He also pointed out that the designated lorry park is too small to accommodate all trucks in the city.
