Panicking Taxi operators in Entebbe have started strictly enforcing COVID-19 guidelines for taxis that ply Kampala-Entebbe road.
This comes after the Ministry of Works and Transport on Monday threatened to shut down public transport again because of refusal to keep up with the required Standard Operating Procedures SOPs on Covid-19
Works and Transport Minister Edward Katumba Wamala said the reluctance by public commuter taxi operators in observing SOPs issued by the ministry of health was leading to a steady increase in Covid-19 infections in the Kampala metropolitan areas.
Among the guidelines to be adhered to include carrying passengers at half capacity, wearing face masks, using hand sanitizers, or washing hands with soap among others.
John Kiyaga, the chairperson Entebbe Taxi Stages, says that they have deployed two people on every stage with Kampala-Entebbe stages like Kisenyi, New Taxi Park, Usafi, Nakawa, Kajjansi, and Kitooro.
Kiyaga, says the operation will go on for as long as taxi operators who fail to comply with the guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19.
He says the operation that started on Monday has since seen several taxis without sanitizers impounded and passengers not wearing face masks sent away from the taxi.
Public transport was reinstated in June 2020 after 4 months of suspension that started in March 2020.
Uganda
The Ministry of Health has on Wednesday confirmed 98 new COVID-19 cases in Uganda bringing the cumulative number of infections in the country to 2,524.
Out of the 98 new infections, 90 are contacts and alerts and they include 65 from Kampala, 8 from Moroto, 6 from Wakiso, 4 from Mbale, 3 from Gulu, 2 from Adjumani while Arua, Kotido, Pader, and Tororo recorded 1 case each.
