Management agencies and public road transport Services in Uganda: A case study of Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers’ Association (UTODA)

Abstract

Development and management of public road transport are prerequisites for rapid economic growth and poverty reduction, as they influence production costs, employment creation, access to markets and investment. The study focused on the reviews and analyses of public road transport management in Uganda and other parts of the world to be able to guide the understanding of the management of public road transport services in Uganda with particular focused on Kampala Capital City where public road transport is managed by Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers’ Association (UTODA). The study believes that the government has facilitated the growth of the public road transport services in Uganda. However, the government still has a role to play in ensuring efficiency and effective management of public road transport services by establishing standards for the private management agencies. There are a number of problems that challenge the effectiveness and efficiency of a managing body/agency. These include among others; corruption, failure to observe traffic rules, abuse and harassment of passengers, uncertainty of transport fares, accidents, so many employees, no proper and clearly spelt standards, to mention. The study was carried out on UTODA and emphasis was on management of public road transport services. The legal and regulatory framework; institutional arrangements, costs and benefits and the internal capacity of UTODA management were focused on. The study used a case study research design and both qualitative and quantitative methods were triangulated in collection and analysis of data. Kampala City and the surrounding areas were studied in order to generate the relevant and adequate data to the study. The study analyzed and discussed the findings of the study in order to inform and improve upon the principal-agent theory on which the study was based. The recommendations were made to inform policy and legal framework on how the management of public road transport services can be improved upon.