By Stephen Kalema
Minster for Kampala Betti Kamya has vowed to deal with rowdy street vendors, bodaboda riders and taxi drivers.
At a press conference on Thursday in Kampala, Kamya cautioned street vendors who have stubbornly refused to sell their merchandise in markets during this Christmas season to be wary because she will have them arrested.
“In this Christmas season, I will not allow any person disorganising the city. I want to inform all street vendors to move off the streets before force is applied on them,” said Kamya.
“Street vendors don’t pay taxes of any kind but our traders in arcades pay a lot of taxes only for their sales to be hampered by vendors who stage in front of their shops,” said Kamya.
Kamya added that in such seasons, traders in arcades have chances to maximize their profits.
“Street vending is illegal and Kampala Capital City Authority will not tolerate this lawlessness. We want to allow our city shops to make profits in this season,” added Kamya.
She also warned bodaboda cyclists and taxi drivers to stop parking on streets where there are no stages.
“Taxi drivers should go back in their parking yards or their respective stages and if not, KCCA and police are to deal with any bodabodas and taxis who will prove stubborn,” said Kamya.
Hamzah Kayongo, a taxi driver plying the Entebbe Road route said; “I believe what KCCA is doing is right because taxi drivers who don’t register with any park or stages are normally thieves who want to kidnap people purposely to demand money and at times their taxis lack credentials to transport passengers.”
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