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Police evacuates stranded students as buses hike fares
Police say the second batch of stranded students will be transported today. Photo | Courtesy
What you need to know:
- Students returning home from schools were caught up in the rush by city dwellers to leave Kampala Metropolitan area for the villages for fear that the government could impose a total lockdown and leave them without basic necessities like it was the case last year.
The police have deployed six buses and 20 trucks to transport for free students who are stranded in Kampala after public transport managers increased fares that the passengers couldn’t afford.
Students returning home from schools were caught up in the rush by city dwellers to leave Kampala Metropolitan area for the villages for fear that the government could impose a total lockdown and leave them without basic necessities like it was the case last year.
By press time, the police were yet to evacuate 300 students from Kampala City to the rural areas. But they were again hit by another challenge as elderly people converged at the same points seeking the same help.
Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesman, said their vehicles will continue to transport the students to their destination before the partial lockdown starts.
“We have deployed fully six buses and 20 trucks for the exercise until they clear the students whether they are going to Karamoja, Arua, Hoima, or anywhere across the country. It is easier to transport them at night,” he said yesterday.
Scores of students across all educational levels were still stranded at the Constitution Square, Namayiba Bus terminal and Makerere University Senate building. They expected their Members of Parliament to organise for them transport back to their homes.
Most of the affected students were those from Teso region and Acholi Sub region.
Mr Patrick Okabe, the Serere County Member of Parliament, and also the former Chairman Teso Parliamentary Group, said working around the clock to help stranded students from his sub-region.
On Sunday, President Museveni announced the closure of all academic institutions following the rising numbers of Covid 19 infections and deaths. The measure was intended to contain the spread of the virus.
Adjumani Woman MP Jessica Ababiku spent the better part of yesterday at the Constitutional Square arranging transport for students who hail from Obongi, Moyo and Adjumani districts.
On Tuesday, Colonel Edith Nakalema, the State House Anti-corruption Unit head, raided different bus parks and ordered the arrest of managers of bus companies who had inflated the fares. She set the maximum passenger fares from Kampala to upcountry.
Like Gulu destination, she fixed the maximum it at Shs70,000 while Arua was sealed at Shs100,000. Soroti passengers will pay not beyond Shs70,000. A Traveller going to Mbarara will pay Shs60,000 while that of Kisoro can’t pay above Shs100,000.
