Following a decision by the Uganda Railways Corporation (UR) to lift the suspension imposed last September to give room for repairs on the Mbuya – Kinnawattaka stretch of the railway, commuters in Mukono and surrounding areas have been given a ray of hope for relaxation of the notorious traffic jam along Kampala-Jinja highway.
According to the corporation, sections of the line especially between Mbuya and Kinnawattaka had been so damaged that it was dangerous to continue plying it, and so opted to have the services temporarily put off.
However, on Thursday URC head of operations Andrew Muguluma told journalists in a media interview that repairs had been finally completed, and that transport services which initially stopped at Namanve had been extended to go as far as Mukono.
Muguluma said they were beginning with two trips in the morning and two in the evening with fares ranging between sh1,600 – sh2,000, and expressed optimism that this would ease on the congestion on Kampala-Jinja highway with travellers spending close to two hours compared to about thirty minutes spent in the train.
He reported that the corporation has plans of increasing the number of routes per day so as to make the train services more beneficial to travellers. ‘In addition, we hope to buy more coaches for extended services’, Muguluma said.
Mukono Resident District Commissioner Hajat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka said Mukono people have been eagerly waiting for this development, and advised people residing along the stretch where the train is going to pass, to open businesses targeting clients who will use it as potential customers.
Ndisaba said that immediately after the commencement of the train services, the people of Kyetume where the passengers will be boarding the train from will have a boost of their businesses, more so to those who will be prepared.
Mukono Central Division chairperson, Robert Kabanda expressed appreciation for the new development, and appealed to commuters to use it to dodge the traffic jam problem on the road, in addition to cutting on transport costs.
Kabanda said that in addition, the railway transport will decrease incidences of the rampant road accidents caused especially by bodaboda riders and reduce pollution emanating from gaseous emissions from vehicles.
He however appealed to the URC to create new stages as a means of making it easier for travellers boarding and alighting from places along the stretch.
His Goma Division counterpart Humphrey Kyasa looked at the re-introduced train services as a way of enabling commuters make savings that would otherwise be spent on road transport.
Juliet Nassuuna, the coordinator of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) in charge of Greater Mukono, thanked the government for the new arrangement, which she said will ease problems encountered as a result of time consuming congestion on the road.
Nassuuna was echoed by a resident of Lufunve-Kyetume village, in Nakisunga sub-county, Davis Peter Opendi who foresaw a boost in enterprises in the area as a result of increased use of the train.
And Mengo chief for Mpoma parish Sylvia Kyowa Kyobe concurred with all the foregoing speakers, saying travellers have been spending a lot of time in transit to Kampala owing to the traffic congestion, something which she said will be no more with the use of passenger trains.
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