Uganda’s taxi operators are preparing to introduce electric vehicles as part of plans to modernise the public transport sector and reduce dependence on fuel.
The Union of Taxi Operators and Drivers in Uganda says it has completed a feasibility study and plans to begin introducing electric taxis in November.
Union chairman Hajji Rashid Ssekindi said the group is now assessing suitable vehicles and preparing taxi operators for the transition.
“We recently visited China to check what is available. We came across an 18-seater taxi that we think is suitable for Uganda and affordable,” Ssekindi said during a meeting at Gaddafi Mosque Hall in Kampala.
The taxi leaders identified a model manufactured by HIGER Bus Company, a Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer based in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
Ssekindi said the proposed vehicle could be adapted to meet Uganda’s transport needs, although some modifications would be necessary to suit local road and operating conditions.
“Our visit to China was to learn more about taxi technology, assess road systems and determine whether electric taxis can work in Uganda. From what we observed, they can work, but the system needs some modifications to fit our local environment,” he said.
The planned transition comes as transport operators face rising fuel costs and growing pressure to adopt cleaner sources of energy.
Ssekindi urged taxi leaders to sensitise drivers and operators about electric vehicles, saying the industry must keep pace with changes in technology and efforts to reduce pollution.
The initiative follows growing interest in electric mobility in Uganda, with taxi leaders seeking to follow the example of boda boda operators who have started adopting electric motorcycles.
The union is now expected to engage taxi operators and other stakeholders ahead of the planned November rollout, as it works out how electric vehicles can be integrated into Uganda’s existing public transport system.
