Mbarara Municipal has come under fire from lorry and bus operators for alleged failure to install lights on the streets leading to the bus and lorry parks. The bus park is located in Kisenyi suburbs while the lorry park is found at mile two along the Mbarara-Masaka road.
They claim that the absence of the street lights exposes them to danger. Bumbakari Mugyenyi, a lorry driver says they have been operating in the dark for the last ten years, which has exposed them to repeated attacks by thugs.
Mugyenyi says the municipality collects between 2000 and 5000 shillings from each lorry operating in the park, but they have failed to utilize the money to improve services in the park. Aron Mukasa, a veteran bus driver faults council for failing to include the security of Mbarara main bus park in their respective financial year budgets.
Mukasa says almost all the drivers are forced to load and offload passengers at fuel stations along the Mbarara Masaka and Kabale roads to avoid being attacked by thieves. Muhammed Byansi, the representative of Nyamityobora ward where the bus and lorry parks are located says early last year council passed a budget of 19million shillings to install security lights on major roads connecting to both parks.
He however, says nothing has been done since then. Byansi faults John Baryantuma Munono, the town clerk of failing to implement the council resolution. Mbarara municipality collects 70 million shillings from the main bus park each month. Efforts by our reporters to get comment from the town clerk were futile as he was out of office.