Hundreds of travellers were left stranded in Gulu town on Wednesday night following a 14-day ban on public transport by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
On Wednesday Museveni announced a travel ban on public transport in order to curtail further spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
Uganda currently has 14 confirmed cases and Museveni since the virus spreads faster when there are social gatherings, a ban on public transport after banning of weekly markets and closing schools was an inevitable directive. Museveni banned taxis, buses and boda bodas from carrying any passengers with trucks carrying food and private vehicles not allowed to carry more than two passengers.
Several passengers from Kitgum, Adjumani, Elegu, Lamwo and Pader district already aboard Knightliners Transporters; Homeland Holdings Company Ltd, Roblyn, and Makome buses enroute to Kampala had their journey cut short.
To implement the ban, police personnel commanded by Gulu district police commander, Emmanuel Mafundo backed by soldiers of the Uganda People's Defense Forces raided different bus terminals and forcefully dispersed hundreds of passengers.
Michael Odora, a passenger from Kitgum aboard Homeland bus to Kampala expressed disappointment at the sudden implementation Museveni's directive saying it inconvenienced his response to an emergency in the city.
Another disgruntled passenger, Beatrice Lapobo, who had booked to leave by 10:00 pm bus told URN that it would have been better to announce a 24-hour grace period to allow travellers to adjust to the ban.
Since Monday, 10 people who include five Ugandans and five South Sudanese have been isolated in Gulu after they defied 14 days' quarantine precautionary measure for travellers entering the country.
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