Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has begun the refurbishment of Kampala Old Taxi park today May 9, and this will take three months.

According a statement by KCCA, a new facelift will see the park, get lighting and some waiting sheds for passengers. The park will have designated entry and exit points for both vehicles and pedestrians and will have access control for vehicles to avoid queuing on the surrounding roads and congestion within the park. The park will also have sanitary facilities such as toilets, an administration block and a Police Post.

“In case the lockdown ends before the works are completed, KCCA shall provide alternative parking areas for the taxis as was with the construction of the New Taxi Park,” KCCA said in a statement.

The lockdown is expected to end in less than a fortnight.

The statement comes just after the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago announced new proposed guidelines for taxis and boda bodas which will see all taxis in Kampala will register with Kampala Capital City Authority, pay fees to the Authority, undergo an inspection every six months and also be subjected to a specific route chart that will be reviewed annually.

According to the proposal, taxis will stay off the road for an extra 42 days as they reorganize the sector and the park.

Boda bodas will have to operate under the digital hailing platforms such as Uber, Safe Boda, Bolt and others.

Transport operators are, however, protesting the new arrangments saying that they are intended to kick them out of the city.