Transportation In Kampala
Driving from Entebbe airport to Kampala takes 45 minutes or slightly
more with traffic jam. While in Kampala, you can get around by train, bus, car
(special hire taxi) or Passenger taxi (matatu) or motorbike (boda boda).
Getting Around the
City
Matatu Mini Bus
Minibus-type taxis called matatus are best way to get around Kampala
city and the neighbouring towns because they are an efficient and
cost-effective method of transportation in urban areas. The Matatus are cheap
and make lots of long fixed routes, picking up and dropping off people on
allocated stages along the route. If you’re not sure where to catch a taxi
going to your destination, one can ask a driver or conductor and they’ll
probably be able to point you in the right direction. Taxis, called special
hire taxis, are available in the city and the fares are negotiable.
Pioneer Bus / City Buses
The Pioneer Bus is a very nice option to take around town and they can
be identified by their orange and black colors and large size. These buses
operate in a similar way to the matatu system except that they are more
organized. The service is very professional and friendly with bus stops all
over town, which eliminates the sudden stopping and starting. And perhaps the
best part of all is that these buses have a standard fare.
Bus / Coaches
There are several bus companies offering direct lines between Kampala
and neighboring countries. A night bus from Kampala could start at 16:00hrs and
arrives at 06:00hrs in Nairobi the capital city of Kenya.
Uganda as a country has a decent bus system. There are two classes of buses. The “matatu taxis” which are minibuses or commuter vans that run fixed routes in and around the city. Then there are the real buses which run less frequently, usually leaving Kampala early in the morning for neighboring border towns and countries. There are many companies which almost all operate from the same general area. Domestic bus travel is reasonable and cheap between major centers and is a good choice for backpackers but do not run on schedule.
Uganda as a country has a decent bus system. There are two classes of buses. The “matatu taxis” which are minibuses or commuter vans that run fixed routes in and around the city. Then there are the real buses which run less frequently, usually leaving Kampala early in the morning for neighboring border towns and countries. There are many companies which almost all operate from the same general area. Domestic bus travel is reasonable and cheap between major centers and is a good choice for backpackers but do not run on schedule.
Bus Transportation in Uganda
Uganda has a
decent bus system. There are two classes of buses. The "taxis" (also
called "matatus") are actually minibuses or commuter vans, which run
fixed routes. There are also real buses which run less frequently, usually
leaving Kampala early
in the morning. There are many companies most of which operate from the same
general area. For example, Post bus has safe, comfortable and reliable buses
going to most towns in Uganda. Both buses and taxis run along most roads
between cities and towns.
The domestic
bus travel is cheap and reasonable between major centers and is a good choice
for backpackers with time, but may not run reliably on schedule. Buses and
"taxis" do not run on fixed schedules. Rather, they leave their
terminal stop when they are completely full. On heavily travelled routes, they
fill up within minutes however on less travelled routes the get long to be
filled and departure is late. Some of the buses that transverse these centers
from the city include Link Bus Services which move from Kampala to Fort
Portal, Kasese, Hoima, Masindi, Masaka.
Post bus Uganda which has big red 67 seat buses going to
1. Gulu
2. Kabale via Masaka and Mbarara
3. Kisoro via Masaka and Mbarara and Kabale.
4. Lira via Jinja and Mbale.
5. Kitgum
via Gula.
The fare
from Kampala to Kabale is USh 25.000, Masaka 10,000, Mbarara 15,000,
Kisoro 30,000, Lira 30,000, Mbale 15,000, Jinja 5,000, Gula 25,000, Kitgum
30,000
The International Bus
The country is well served by a number of reputable international bus
companies which offer direct routes from Nairobi, Mombasa, Kigali, Bujumbura, Goma,
Bukavu, Juba, Kisumu, Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Harare to Kampala. All of these buses will, in theory, allow travelers
to alight at main towns along the route, e.g. When moving from Kampala to
Kenya, a typical journey lasts approximately 12 hours, including the border
crossing.
A)
The bus ride from Kampala to Kisumu takes 7 hours and cost USh 43,000 on Easy
Coach.
B)
Easy Coach has three buses a day going from Kampala
to Nairobi via Kisumu 06:30 and 14:00 and 18:00 at USh 43,000/65,000.
C)
Trinity Transporters has buses from Kampala to
Kigali for USh 40,000 then Goma DRC for US$14 and Bukavu DRC for US$17.
D)
Jaguar Executive Coaches has two buses a day from
Kampala to Kigali for USh 40,000.
E)
Mash Poa Bus Company has buses to and from Nairobi three times a day and the fares are USh 65.000
and a bus to Kigali USh 40,000
F)
Modern Coast Express Buses have three buses a day to
and from Nairobi via Kisumu at USh 50,000/65.000 and Kigali at USh 40,000.
G)
The Dreamline Express Bus Ltd has a bus that travels
at 05:30 from Kampala to Nairobi at USh 65,000
H)
The Simba Coaches go all the way from Kampala
to Harare Zimbabwe via Nairobi, Dar es Salaam then Lusaka Zambia.
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