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By Our Staff Reporter
MBALE – UGANDA | March 11, 2026
Five taxi operators were arrested along Pallisa Road near the roundabout in Mbale as city authorities resumed enforcement of the trade order aimed at reorganizing the city’s transport system and reducing congestion in the central business district.
The suspects were picked up by joint security officers after they were allegedly found loading passengers outside the designated taxi parks, contrary to the city’s transport regulations.
According to Geoffrey Mugisa, the Town Clerk of the Mbale Industrial City Division, the ongoing operation is intended to restore order in the transport sector and ensure that taxi operators comply with the established guidelines.
“The enforcement is meant to reduce congestion in the city and ensure that public transport operators work within the approved taxi parks,” Mugisa said.
The arrested operators were later taken to Mbale Central Police Station as security officers continued monitoring transport activities along Pallisa Road and other major streets within the city.
The renewed crackdown comes amid broader efforts by Mbale City authorities to reorganize trade and transport activities following complaints about congestion, disorderly parking, and taxis operating along streets instead of designated parks. Authorities say such practices have contributed to traffic jams and safety risks for both motorists and pedestrians.
In previous operations, several taxi drivers and street vendors were arrested while others had their vehicles impounded for defying city regulations requiring them to use gazetted parking areas and markets.
City leaders say the enforcement is also part of a wider plan to decongest Mbale’s central business district by directing taxis and other public service vehicles to approved facilities such as the Kumi Road Taxi Park and the main taxi park.
However, some taxi operators have previously raised concerns about the limited space in existing taxi parks and the lack of adequate consultation before the enforcement of such directives.
Mugisa warned that the operation will continue in different parts of the city and urged taxi drivers to comply with the regulations by operating only from approved taxi parks or risk arrest and possible prosecution.
City authorities say restoring order in the transport sector is key to improving traffic flow, enhancing road safety, and maintaining proper urban management in Mbale City.
