Analogia Malenga
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- Feb 24, 2012
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Chama Cha waendesha bodaboda, NFPC wameishtaki serikali ya Uganda kwa kuwa na ubaguzi kwenye kuruhusu usafiri wa umma kuendelea kufungia waendesha bodaboda kuteweza kuendelea na biashara yao
Kesi hiyo ilifunguliwa katika Mahakama Kuu ya Kampala. Waongozaji wa suala hilo wamesema kuwazuia bodaboda kubeba abiria haikubaliki kwa kuwa wanaathirika kiuchumi na wanaweza kuhamia kwenye kazi haramu ambazo ziko kinyume na katiba ya nchi yao
Raise Yoweri Museven alifungua shughuli za usafirishaji na kusema waendesha bodaboda watabaki kubeba mizigo tu na sio abiria, ametaja sababu kuwa ni usafiri wa bodaboda hauwezi kuacha nafasi kati ya dereva na abiria na hivyo itazidisha maambukizi ya #COVID19
Waendesha bodaboda wamesema ni hatari zaidi kupanda gari kwa kuwa nafasi yake ni ndogo na huwa watu wengi ambao huweza kuambukizana tofauti na kwenye usafiri wa Bodaboda
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Boda boda operators yesterday sued government for not allowing them resume passenger transport.
Through their association, the National Federation of Professional Cyclists Network (NFPC), the boda boda riders state that government is acting in a discriminatory manner by allowing other businesses, particularly other public transport service providers, to reopen and yet stop them from carrying passengers.
The lead petitioners are Mr Fred Kagaba, Mr Twaha Semakula, Mr Yassin Ssemujju and Mr Umar Jjuko Kateregga.
In the suit, they are seeking “a declaration that government refusing people engaged in the boda boda transport business to carry passengers is not acceptable or demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society and, therefore, an infringement and threat to their economic right to carry out their lawful occupation, trade which is contrary to the Constitution.”
The suit was filed in the High Court in Kampala.
The President has relaxed the Covid-19 lockdown and partially reopened public and private transport, allowing vehicles to carry half capacity passengers, but insisted the boda bodas can only cargo.
Mr Museveni reasons that there is barely no social distance between the rider and the passenger, a scenario that can accelerate the spread of Covid-19.
However, Mr Kagaba, one of the boda boda leaders from Nabweru in Kawempe Division, contests this reasoning in his affidavit to support their petition.
“I verily believe that by its nature, the boda boda does not spread the Covid-19 disease more than the other forms of transport such as private cars, mini buses that have been allowed to carry more than one passenger in an enclosure,” Mr Kagaba avers.
“Unlike in enclosed cars, boda bodas are open and the rider does not face the passenger,” he adds.
Through their lawyers of Wameli & Co. Advocates, the boda boda cyclists want court to compel government to reopen their business of carrying passengers, which they say is their only source of livelihood and income.
They want court to order government to make arrangements for them to access some financial support until they are allowed to resume operations.
They also say they are ready to abide by standard operating procedures such as washing hands and wearing of facemasks that have been put in place by the Health ministry to prevent the spread of Covid-19, if they are allowed them resume work.
Background
The President has relaxed the Covid-19 lockdown and partially reopened public and private transport, allowing vehicles to carry half capacity passengers, but insisted the boda bodas can only carry cargo.
Mr Museveni reasons that there is barely no social distance between the rider and the passenger, a scenario that can accelerate the spread of Covid-19.
Source: Daily Monitor
