By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
A serious squabble has erupted between the Chairperson of Entebbe Stages Conductors and Drivers Association (ESCADA), Mr. Abiola Walakira and the Entebbe Municipality mayor Fabrice Brad Rulinda over management of Kitoro taxi which will soon be opened officially.
The squabble arose after Chief Abiola mobilized taxi drivers and conductors and secretly reopened Kitoro Taxi Park, something the mayor says was wrong because his office was not informed about it.
Abiola told this reporter that the mayor has failed to understand that he has a contract with Entebbe municipal council to run the disputed Kitoro taxi park which has been under construction for the last 6years.
He added that he strongly disagrees with mayor Rulinda who says that he (Abiola) has to wait for the next financial year 2025/2026 for council to determine on whether to award him the tender to continue running Kitoro Taxi Park.
The disagreement has left the duo at crossroads and apparently not seeing see eye to eye but sources close to them indicate that mediations are ongoing to reconcile them.
It should be noted that on September 2, 2024, management of Entebbe Stages Conductors and Drivers Association (ESCADA), led by their chairperson Chief Abiola Walakira stormed the disputed taxi park and secretly reopened it after a period of 6years under construction.
Chief Abiola Walakira earlier explained that the secret reopening was intended to remind council that it was overdue to reopen Kitooro Taxi Park after the contractors kept on postponing its completion date.
He revealed that all drivers operating outside the gazetted Kitoro Taxi Park shall be registered with the Entebbe stages Conductors and Drivers Association so as to avoid the prevailing disunity among taxi operators in Entebbe Municipality.
He also disclosed that a team of law enforcers has been put in place to crack down on criminals who masquerade as taxi operators before robbing passengers. He said this is intended to clean up the taxi industry on top of regaining public trust.
The Vice chairperson of Entebbe Stage Conductors and Drivers Association, Yasin Muwezi, urged passengers to return to Kitooro taxi Park adding that this time round, their drivers and conductors undertook some professional training in handling passengers and therefore, passengers should expect better services than before.
The association General Secretary, Mukasa Kasaga, told reporters that a disciplinary committee has been established to discipline indisciplined drivers and conductors and also assured passengers of their safety plus their luggage.
