Which means of transport to use Uganda?

From the airport to the city centre Uganda

Entebbe International Airport is not served by public transport. To reach the capital, Kampala, you will need to take a taxi(special hire). The fare is Ush 100,000 (US$ 28). From the airport car park, be sure to use the numbered vehicles marked airport taxi (Airport Taxi Services). Please note that many hotels in Kampala organize transfers for their guests to/from the airport and that private shuttles serve the largest city in the country. You can also reach Kampala by minibus. To do this, take a taxi (US$2 at least) to the bus station (Entebbe Taxi Park). From there, take a shared taxi to Usafi Taxi Park in Kampala. The minimum fare is Ush 3,000 (a surcharge may apply if you are loading large luggage) for the 35km journey. You will then be driving on the old road, which is quite congested, as theexpressway (opened in 2018, to be paid for in the very near future and allowing a time saving of 25-30 minutes) is off limits to boda-bodas and minibuses.

Public transport Uganda

Coaches. This is one of the most economical ways to visit Uganda. Large buses provide regular connections between the main cities of the country at very reasonable rates. It is very difficult to generalize about comfort, safety, travel time and punctuality, as the quality of service differs from company to company. That being said, you could very well come across a reckless driver and an old bus that makes many untimely stops and does not leave on time... Moreover, the volume of the radio or the videos broadcasted can be quite loud, forbidding any prospect of sleep. Lucky you if you have earplugs for the road! In Kampala, some bus operators have their own terminal (like Link) while the others are grouped in bus stations (Namayiba and Kasenyi). To buy your ticket, it is best to go the day before to the bus station or to the offices of the appropriate company. In the provinces, passengers are usually picked up and dropped off on the main road in towns that do not have a terminal. You should also know that the neighbouring states (Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, South Sudan and Kenya) are all served from the Ugandan capital. You will find, finally, in the pages of this guide dedicated to Kampala a notice for each company, national and foreign, the most serious.

Minibuses. Minibuses (also known as matatus or taxis) operate on the main and secondary roads. Their schedules are random: they leave only when they have filled up with passengers and stop on demand on the road; you can therefore hail them as they pass. Flexibility guaranteed! This is a very economical but rather slow solution, to be reserved for short distances as comfort is not the priority. Within the capital, the most important minibus stations (Usafi, New and Old Taxi Parks) are located in Old Kampala. Matatus are now grouped by destination. For example, if you want to go to Entebbe, go to Usafi Taxi Park. At these stations, as mentioned above, there are no fixed departure times: the vehicles leave when all seats are occupied. Thus, departures to Entebbe and Jinja are done at high frequency (every 10 minutes or so) as the minibuses fill up quickly; it can take longer for other destinations. The main cities of the country also have their own taxi park. However, it is not always necessary to go there. In fact, it is sometimes enough to stand on the road leading to the desired destination to find a minibus going there.

Boda-bodas. You will find everywhere, including small towns, these motorcycle taxis that are a practical and pleasant way to get around. If you are an independent traveller, you will inevitably use a boda-boda to get around town and in the more remote countryside of the country. With few exceptions (such as on Kilembe Road in Kasese), the fare is never stipulated. You will therefore have to discuss the price before your journey. During this kind haggling, the distance to be covered, the duration of the trip, the terrain, the state of the road (rough track or freshly paved road), the season, the time of day and the prospect of finding a customer at the drop-off point are all parameters to be taken into account in order to establish a fair price. In reality, only experience will help you determine a fair price for both your driver and yourself. Also, note that you can ride two people on a motorcycle. In Kampala, if you are concerned about the safety of motorcyclists, you can opt for the trained drivers of the SafeBoda company (www.safeboda.com).

Nota Bene For more information: The Ugandan government's decision to limit the number of passengers on board minibuses and buses as part of its fight against Covid-19 has had an impact on the fares charged by transporters. Most of them have decided to compensate for the drop in revenue caused by this measure by increasing their fares. As an example, the price of a seat in some taxis has been more than doubled. As these provisions are supposed to be temporary, this guide shows the fares charged by the various entrepreneurs just before the confinement (March 2020). The public transport sector differs from the hotel sector, and tourism in general, where promotional offers have flourished since spring 2020. You may benefit from them... (in the pages of this book, only the ex ante rates are mentioned).

With a driver Uganda

To find what is commonly known as a taxi, in Kampala as in the rest of the country, you will need to specify that you want a special hire, unless, of course, you book it through a hotelier or anyone else who is used to working with tourists. Taxi drivers usually wait outside major hotels and in the car park at the international airport, so you should have no trouble finding a vehicle in town. Ugandan taxis do not necessarily have distinctive markings (number, light, characteristic colours, etc.). Moreover, few of them are equipped with a taximeter, so you should ask about the fare before getting in. If you have to hail a taxi without a reservation, use the cars of easily identifiable companies (Airport Taxi Services, Kampala Taxi Services, etc.). What about VTCs? Uber is well established in the Ugandan capital. You can also test (by downloading an application) Diva Taxi, a young Kampala company with only female drivers. Finally, people renting a vehicle to travel around the country can hire a driver (about 40 US$/day).

By car Uganda

General. The road network in Uganda is of uneven quality: the tarred roads linking the main towns of the country are generally of good quality, notwithstanding a few segments riddled with potholes, but many tracks are bumpy and, in many cases, almost impassable after the heavy rains of the rainy season. The choice of vehicle will depend on the regions visited and the roads used. It is quite possible to travel in a sedan on the main roads, but to get off the beaten track, a 4WD is more practical, and in some cases, indispensable. Driving is on the left. The maximum speed limit outside built-up areas is 100 km/h on paved national roads and 80 km/h on dirt roads (although there are some excellent, "rolling" and well-graded dirt roads, there are plenty of bad ones; on the latter, exceeding 30 or 40 km/h is sometimes a challenge). In built-up areas, the limit is 50 km/h. Caution is advised, especially at night, as street lighting is extremely rare on the Ugandan road network, as are signs on secondary roads and tracks. Potholes, animals and humans not easily discernible on the road are all potential causes of night-time accidents. There are petrol stations in the towns and often at least one pump in the larger rural towns. When travelling to remote areas, it is wise to carry jerry cans of fuel, although petrol (sometimes of dubious quality) is usually sold by private individuals at the roadside and in local markets. The vehicle's papers and international driving licence must be taken on board as they will be required by the police at roadblocks on the main roads. Finally, the maximum permitted blood alcohol level is 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.

Driving in national parks. Within the parks open to motor vehicles (Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Kidepo and Lake Mburo), the speed limit is 40 km/h. Speeding is punishable by a fine of Ush 100 000 (US$ 28). Any driver practicing off-roading is fined US$ 150 per person in the vehicle. Finally, 500 US$ will have to be paid in case of road kill (killing an animal on the road by hitting it with your car).

The case of Kampala. As in most of the big cities in Africa, the dense traffic in Kampala is a bit anarchic (euphemism...). Driving can be tricky for Westerners coming from countries where traffic rules are more respected. Here, you will have to weave in and out of the flow of vehicles, honk your horn, and expect some risky overtaking... However, with a little time, practice and relaxation, you should be able to understand the local "rules". Another point: parking is not free in some areas of the city centre. The ticket costs 1,000 Ush for one hour. If you park for more than 60 minutes, you will have to add 800 Ush for every 30 minutes.

Car rental. Many agencies (mainly based in Kampala) offer different types of rental vehicles, from the most basic car to the most powerful 4x4 or minibus (count from 35 to 250 US$/day, not including fuel, depending on the season, the length of stay and the model of vehicle). Many tour operators also offerself-drive tours.

Accessibility Uganda

Public transport in Uganda (minibuses, coaches, etc.) is not generally adapted to people with reduced mobility. People travelling on a chauffeur-driven tour should inform the tour operator with whom they have booked their trip of their disability beforehand so that the tour operator can make the necessary arrangements.