Imagine an underground metro railway system in a city like Kampala–okay that’s enough to stop imagining. This was the first thought that popped into my mind when I saw Kampala City Council Authority’s (KCCA) new public transport route that taxi and bus operators started using with effect from 4th June after H.E the President announced that they will resume operations after weeks of lockdown. The multi-colored straight lines on the map can give an illusion of a future high tech transportation system that Kampala dwellers can only dream of. One would only wish we had such an underground railway system in Kampala.
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My first underground travel experience was in Paris 2012, I was amazed at how the system works. The Paris Metro opened on 19 July 1900, and the subway has grown gradually, inaugurating the last line in 1998. This line is considered one of the most modern worldwide. Currently, Paris Metro has 303 lines and is 136 miles (219 km) long. It’s so organized in such a way that passengers can use the same travel card and the difference between the underground and train is barely noticeable.
A functioning mass transit system is most important to back up mobility in large cities and conglomerations. Many other countries like the USA, UK, Singapore, China, etc have a similar transportation system due to the high people and vehicle traffic in those cities.
Such a system will reduce on the traffic jam, reduce unnecessary road accidents, and provide cheap transportation (if subsidized by the government) among the various merits that come with a metro subway system.
Understanding the new Public transportation Routes
Now back to our reality, KCCA’s new public transport route is well thought of and squeaky clean– having well-demarcated routes with bus stop numbers to clearly guide passengers and drivers to their destination. Kampala’s day population is about 5 million and 2 million by night. This implies that about 3 million people come in and out of the city on a daily basis.
According to the new arrangement, the Central Business District (CDB) lines A, B, C F, H, I, M, N P, Q, S, U, and Y will operate in the Old Taxi Park while taxis operating on Line C, F, H, I, J, K, L, M, and S will operate from the New Taxi Park. Usafi taxi park will have taxis operating on lines N, P, R, S, and U while Kisenyi taxi park will have Lines P and S. The V lines will operate from the Natete park while the X lines are reserved for metropolitan bus services only. See below
Let’s give an example, If you are going to Nansana you have two route options; one can use taxis operating on line L2 from the Central Business District (CDB) via Bakuli, Nakulabye to Wakiso or H4 from the CDB via Makerere and Kasubi. All the routes are well organized but will take a bit of a steep learning curve for passengers to know where to get which taxi to take them to their final destinations. It also ensures drivers know their routes of operation and drive only in those routes as registered with KCCA.
The taxi operators are required to pay the mandatory fees for a PSV license, have a renewal of driving permit if expired and third party insurance. They also had to pay other government fees by 31st Dec 2020 giving them a grace period of six (6) months. The six months grace period which expires 31st Dec 2020 is to allow public transport operators to obtain a permanent route chart, color code for GKMA, and other user fees. Effective 1st January 2021, all vehicles that would have not complied shall not be permitted to operate in the GKMA.
We recommend KCCA to make an app for the detailed route map to ease life of the passengers.
The Detailed Map
Possible challenges of a Metro in Kampala
However much I would love our beautiful city surrounded by seven hills to have a great underground metro system to ease transportation and cut on the traffic jam situation above the ground, our government is not ready to embark on such a complex project. As Ugandans, we seem to prioritize on the now and forget and not the fur future. Other experts have argued that making Kampala a futuristic city is close to impossible now. We would be better off with a whole new city, but if you would insist on Kampala, we would opt for an overground or hybrid metro-system like in Dubai.
We would face several challenges as a country if we were to embark on such a huge project. This includes; funding, corruption, engineering construction challenges, unstable power system, environmental impact, underground noise or air pollution, natural hazards, the establishment of laws and regulations for safety risk management, and underground metro robberies. The list is endless.
Let’s also consider Metro subway station fires that often have serious consequences because of the high density of people and a limited number of exits in a relatively enclosed space. The urgent demands for land resources in urban development, more and more underground spaces, such as subway metro stations, underground malls, parking lots, water, Optic fiber cable and so on, are explored and constructed. Due to the compact structure, high population density, limited number of exits, and other factors, serious consequences can be induced by disasters in subway stations, which have become a great public concern.
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Boda bodas still play a crucial role
Let’s not forget our boda boda friends. The Boda Bodas play a critical role in transporting a good number of people in the city but they need to be regulated to enhance the safety of the public. We know that the government is in the process of finalizing the extent of a boda boda Freezone and the gazetting of boda boda stages in the City. According to KCCA, future Boda boda operations will also be subjected to Standard Operating Procedures. Gazetting of stages and their return to the city will be communicated in due course.
In conclusion, as a developing nation all this is just a dream, but still in the grasp of our future generations. This requires governments that have long term plans to predict and the zeal to implement futuristic transportation in Kampala or how any new city will look like in the next 50 years. What do you think about Kampala having a Metro system? Leave us a comment below.
