Police have explained why Operation Ganyegenya, a 100-day crackdown on dangerous and unroadworthy public service vehicles, has so far been enforced on only one day since its launch last week. The operation began on August 24, four days after the ministry of Works and Transport directed a crackdown on public service vehicles operating in dangerous […] The post Police pause Operation Ganyegenya appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd .
A DMC taxi on the road
Police have explained why Operation Ganyegenya, a 100-day crackdown on dangerous and unroadworthy public service vehicles, has so far been enforced on only one day since its launch last week.
The operation began on August 24, four days after the ministry of Works and Transport directed a crackdown on public service vehicles operating in dangerous mechanical conditions.
During the first enforcement exercise, police impounded 178 commuter taxis across the Kampala metropolitan area.
However, the operation has not been conducted daily because police do not have sufficient space to accommodate the large number of vehicles being impounded, Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura said.
“It would have been a challenge to continue impounding vehicles every day when we don’t have space to put them, because there are very many. So we have decided to impound, carry out inspections, release them, and then go back to carry out another enforcement,” Kananura said.
Of the 178 taxis impounded, 53 were seized in Kampala Metropolitan East, covering the Jinja Road-Mukono stretch; 62 in Kampala Metropolitan South, covering the Katwe-Entebbe corridor; and 63 in Kampala Metropolitan North, covering Kawempe.
Kananura said the ministry of Works, working with police inspection teams, had so far inspected 106 of the 178 impounded taxis, while 72 remained pending inspection.
The inspections are being conducted at gazetted centres, including Naguru, Wankulukuku, Natete and Gayaza, and cover a range of mechanical, structural and passenger-safety requirements.
Inspectors check for dangerous or illegal bull bars, cracked windscreens, worn-out or expired tyres and defective service brakes.
They also examine bodywork for damage or deformation, seat belts, first-aid kits, fire extinguishers and warning triangles, as well as the condition of interior fittings.
Other checks include passenger-door locks, rooftop signage, the condition and cleanliness of seats and interiors, headlights, rear lights and other mechanical defects.
Vehicles found with defects are handed back to their owners for repairs before being subjected to a second inspection. Kananura said the process begins with a physical inspection and that vehicles requiring repairs are released to their owners without number plates.
The vehicles must then return for a second inspection using specialised equipment. If they pass, the number plates are returned and the vehicles are allowed back on the road.
“We have to inspect them and hand them over to the owners for repairs, clear the space, then we can go back on the road and carry out another round of enforcement,” Kananura said.
Minister warns operators
State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama said previous attempts to remove unroadworthy taxis from the roads had faced resistance from operators, some of whom threatened industrial action or warned that they would vote against the government.
He said the condition of some public service vehicles had deteriorated to unacceptable levels.
“These taxis are beyond repair. You find them loading people, but when you enter, the seats are torn, smelling. Some are tied with superglue. The conductor is holding the door with superglue, the doors cannot lock, and the driver is using a steering wheel tied with ropes. When you look at the tyres, the people are moving at the mercy of God,” Byamukama said.
Police target night operators
Kananura said police were also preparing to change their tactics to deal with operators who evade daytime enforcement by putting dangerous taxis on the road at night.
He said patrols would increasingly be deployed along different roads, with night operations also expected to begin.
“Working at night is going to be dangerous for them, because we don’t want them on the road. We shall now change our tactics; they will not like what will come against them,” Kananura said.
Police deny bribery claims
Police have also dismissed allegations that some drivers are recovering impounded vehicles by paying bribes to traffic officers. Kananura said releasing a vehicle known to have dangerous mechanical defects in exchange for money would expose an officer to serious disciplinary action.
He said traffic officers were being monitored through cameras and covert operatives deployed along the roads.
Officers found soliciting or accepting bribes risk being subjected to disciplinary proceedings before the Traffic Disciplinary Court at Natete police station, where such conduct is treated as a serious offence.
Police said the 100-day operation will eventually be rolled out across the country after the initial focus on the Kampala metropolitan area.
The pause in daily enforcement, police say, is therefore logistical rather than a suspension of the operation, with impounded vehicles first undergoing inspection and repair before space is created for another round of enforcement.
The post Police pause Operation Ganyegenya appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.
Follow the story
