By Sophan Niwamanya
apearlnews.com
bThere is a drop in the number of Buses, passengers and traders at Katuna border in Kabale district due to high costs of Covid-19 testing.
On 7th March 2022, Rwanda officially opened Gatuna border for passengers to resume travels along Katuna border after the first Rwandan passenger bus belonging to Volcano Bus Company crossed in Uganda after three years of closure.
According to the survey done by our reporter, passengers and buses crossing via katuna border have shifted business to mirama hill one stop border due to hiked price of PCR testing and delay in release of testing results.
Bright Mbarara, a trader at Katuna border says that the rate of testing per person at the border is One hundred thousand shillings {100,000 Ugx} and that it takes One and half hours for results to be out. He added that at Mirama hill one stop border the rate of testing stands at Thirty thousand shillings {30,000} Ugx and thirty minutes for the results to be out.
Katurebe Robert and Byamukama Dominic say that passengers delay at the border for six hours for results to be out. They called for deduction on testing charges to enable smooth running of business.
Mujuni Godfrey, a clearing agent at Katuna border, says that ever since the border reopened, none of the things have been cleared from Uganda to Rwanda. They added that it has affected business saying that hotels stopped operating and there is no money changing.
The state minister for transport also the Member of Parliament Bugangaizi West in Kakumiro district, Fred Byamukama asked people living at Katuna border and Uganda at large to give the matter little time saying that the government is in its wee hours to resolve the matter.
Byamukama who was on his visit to Kabale district accessing the state of transport condemned the matter of delaying passengers at the border.
ENDS//
