Nakalema orders bus companies to refund fares in overcharge

The head of State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Col Edith Nakalema has ordered all bus companies which overcharged passengers, especially students and never transported them in the last three days to refund the fares.

She tasked the bus owners to explain why they charged passengers, especially students money and never transported them, leaving government to transport them.

According to her, bus operators hiked fares yet there was no increase in fuel prices.

All the people who were delivered by transport organised by government had paid inflated fares to the bus operators, she said before instructing the PS, office of the President, Mr Yunus Kakande to direct all Resident District Commissioners to report offices of the bus companies to refund the fares.

“Bus companies have been using crooks to collect money from passengers illegally. Bus owners should reveal why they took advantage of the crisis to fleece the public,” she said this during a Thursday meeting with bus owners in Kampala, attended by Winstone Katushabe, the Commissioner Transport Regulation and Safety, Ministry of Works and Transport.

The meeting comes two days after Col Nakalema on Tuesday visited the bus parks downtown Kampala to assess what she and travelers described as the worsening transportation situation after President Museveni announced that public transport between districts would be suspended for 14 days starting June 10, in a bid to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

Following the announcement, there has been a mad dash in the parks as hundreds of travelers hastened to return to their villages.

Bus and taxi operators had hiked fares citing lack of passengers on return routes and high fuel costs.

Sourced from: DM