Police have impounded 21 motorcycles and arrested scores of riders in Luweero town for defying a ban on public transport.
The ban was announced by President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday night, as one of the measures to contain a new strain of Coronavirus’ COVID-19, which is spreading across the globe. Uganda has so far registered 14 cases of people with the virus. The ban, affected taxis, minibuses, buses, train, Tuk-Tuks and all Boda-boda.
A team of Policemen commanded by the Officer in Charge of Luweero Police Station Isaac Kushaba launched operations since yesterday to arrest defiant motorists. By last evening, 21 motorcycles and five taxis had been impounded. According to Kushaba, scores of riders were briefly arrested and released but the motor vehicles will be returned at the end of the ban.
Joseph Mukasa, one of the affected motorist says that although they are equally concerned about the spread of the disease, it was unfair to stop them from working because this is likely to worsen their situation and plunge then into starvation.
Dan Ssenku, a Chairperson of Luweero town Bodaboda Association says that the defiance stems from pressure from motorcyclists who need money to look after families and repay loans. Ssenku says that motorists should provide sanitizers to passengers to curb the spread of the disease, instead of a total ban on their services.
Luweero town today remained with few vehicles as many taxis and motorcycles as were parked to adhere to the Presidential directive.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
