Overview:
According to Godfrey Mugisha, Town Clerk in charge of Mbale Industrial City Division, more than ten trucks and taxis were impounded on Wednesday, and several drivers were arrested for defying city regulations.
Authorities in Mbale have entered day three of a city-wide enforcement operation aimed at restoring order, with taxi and lorry drivers arrested and several vehicles impounded on Wednesday. The joint operation, conducted by city enforcement officers in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), targeted drivers parking in unauthorized areas instead of designated taxi and lorry parks. Some of the impounded vehicles were taken to Mbale Central Police Station.
According to Godfrey Mugisha, Town Clerk in charge of Mbale Industrial City Division, more than ten trucks and taxis were impounded on Wednesday, and several drivers were arrested for defying city regulations. He said the operation is intended to restore order and called on drivers to comply with the law by using gazetted parking areas.
Earlier in the week, on Monday and Tuesday, the enforcement team focused on street vendors and illegal roadside structures. Hundreds of kiosks and temporary stalls along Republic Street, Naboa Road, and Market Street were demolished using a grader. However, some affected drivers raised concerns during interviews with reporters.
A lorry driver said the city had allocated Kumi Road Market as a parking area, but the site remains uncleared and filled with rubbish, making it unusable. A taxi driver also argued that Mbale Taxi Park is too small to accommodate more than 100 taxis currently operating within the city. Responding to the concerns, Mbale City Deputy Town Clerk Jolly Hasoho said lorry drivers were allocated two alternative parking areas — Mpumude Playground in Northern Division and Kumi Road Market.
She noted that Mpumude Playground was designated last year, but drivers have allegedly refused to use it, claiming it is far from the city centre. Hasoho maintained that distance should not be a justification for non-compliance and insisted that the operation will continue. “This is a serious operation, and it is ongoing,” she said. Meanwhile, when contacted about the arrests, Rogers Taitika, spokesperson for the Elgon Region Police, said he had not yet received a report from the District Police Commander to enable him to address the media on the matter.
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