Pioneer Easy Bus adventure

The newly introduced transport mode in Kampala is bound to give you some adventurous experiences.

Reduced transport costs
Ever since Pioneer Easy Buses started operation , i have managed to cut on my transport costs. Taxis used to charge according to the amount of traffic on my Kampala-Bweyogere route. Can you imagine that one could pay 700 SHS in the morning from Kampala to Bweyogere and pay 2000 SHS for the same route in the evening. The taxi operators would easily adjust the fare whenever they could detect increased traffic flow. However that has now come to pass with the coming of Pioneer Easy bus. Now sure of paying just 800 SHS and easily save 700 SHS for other costs.

Queuing culture.
Taking the Pioneer Easy  bus means one has to adopt the queuing culture into their normal routine. The buses usually attract a huge number of people in that there has to be some order in order to access them. People who normally take the bus  have to line up since access is on first come first serve basis. It is normal to see the Pioneer Easy bus queue making a bend since every one has to respect the one before him when accessing the bus. I personally hate lining up but if it means saving an extra buck i have no problem with it other than shoving myself up with others trying to enter a taxi as before.

Hustle free travel

Traveling by taxi was never short of drama; from arguing over transport fare to cases of theft of passengers' property  by unscrupulous taxi operators. Inside the bus, you can never hear arguments over one's balance or fare, there are limited chances of getting ones property stolen by operators and most of all no interruptions from people communicating unsolicited information inside  like gospel preachers. I was even amazed one day when a salesman was prohibited from giving out his fliers to passengers inside the bus. That guarantees one hustle free travel to his destination. I wonder whether the buses have immunity from traffic police because i have never seen any one being stopped unlike taxis.

Formalised transport

I can now manage to budget for my travelling needs and easily find out how much i can spend on my travel. One does not have to worry that the fare may rise after a heavy downpour or when there is a Chamilion  Album Launch at Kyadondo Rugby Club. There is the joy of getting a receipt for your payments and this has proved that now you are a genuine customer the service provider. One has to be issued with a ticket on paying to the bus clerk indicating the amount paid suitable for his destination before entering a Pioneer Easy bus.

Enough room for everyone
No one is left behind by a Pioneer Easy bus. With its capacity to carry 61 passengers  is better off than taxis which are licenced to carry 14 passengers though they overload. If you are not early enough to grab a seat, then you are destined to reach your destination standing up or wait for one to disembark early so that you take over his seat. I had never experienced travelling while standing  until i took the Pioneer Easy bus. This has exposed the goodness in some people for example when a gentleman offered his seat to an elderly lady.

Social media revolution

The social media revolution has taken on Ugandans by storm. Almost all aspects of life has been taken over by social media. Be it politics, business, interaction, health and traditional aspects like Ssengas. All this can be accessed through social media in the country.

Rise of free Facebook

Mobile phone operators have given many Ugandans a chance to experience social networks by providing them with free Facebook access. Orange Uganda offers m.facebook.com and MTN moble network offers Facebook0 to their subscribers. That has greatly contributed to the Facebook craze in the country.








Increase in smart phones

Many middle class Ugandan are proud owners of the latest tech gadgets  and smart phones. These enable them to be always on the go with their social networks everywhere. These smart phones can easily be bought in any mobile phone shop like those at Mutasa Kafeero plaza and some are introduced by mobile phone services operators.

Facebook market place

Innovative youths came with ideas of forming Facebook pages where anyone can go and buy or sell any item.This has provided a cheap marketing platform for people looking for marketing opportunities and enables buyers to interact with providers of goods and services cheaply. Notably among these include Zillionsclub classifieds which has amassed more than 35,000 members and Tradelinks Africa.


Reduced costs of keeping in touch.
Communication has been made easy for Ugandans by the emergence of social media platforms. Now the cost of keeping in touch with long lost friends has been minimized with the emergence of Facebook and Twitter.One can easily  search for a lost pal by just doing it through a friend search in Facebook. Now people from the same institution can form a facebook page in order to keep in touch with each other.

Popularity of fan pages
Businesses learnt to incorporate social media in their operations as a means of keeping up with the current trends. Now it is mandatory for a company to host a fan page where it can interact with its customers. It has become a norm for  television broadcasters like NTV  and NBS to air out views of their social media followers on different topics  on air. Even government institutions like KCCA realized the potential of social media  and embraced them.

Be street smart

You can keep your valuables safe while on the move with some precautions

At the mall

Do not forget to leave your valuables like laptops in your car at the parking lot of the mall. Many cases of theft have been reported of valuables stolen from people's cars under the watchful eye of security guards at many shopping malls. So its better you move with your valuables than leaving them inside your car however locked because it is not safe!

In a jam

One can not miss to notice the long queues in traffic jam in the morning, lunch hours and evening on many roads like Entebbe road.  This has been taken advantage of by people seeking to reap where they did not sow. There fore it is wise to keep your car window up because you can never know what may attract some one to steal be it your bracelet, phone or any other thing. Many people's phones have been snatched while they are talking on them in traffic jam.


Avoid mobs.
Kampala  streets are never void of drama which attract stares from people. To be on a safe side it is better never to join in on whatever people are starring at while on your way on the street because among those looking are people ready to disappear with your wallet or phone without your notice.

Keep away from dark paths

Try as much as possible to avoid short-cuts passing through dark paths however short it may be to your final destination. Most times these are the havens of muggers who waylay unsuspecting people and rob them of their belongings at whatever cost. You can never under estimate the danger these muggers may pose.



Keep away from strangers

Every one of us has been taught since childhood to keep away from people we do not know however we can not avoid it especially in crowded places where one can never know who to expect. However people who come to you on the street asking for monetary help are in most cases fakes who use that as a hoax to earn from  kind people. Though it may seem harmless, it gets irritating meeting that same person many other times using the same technic to try and get money from your pocket.

Hitchhiking

 Picking a stranger on the road in your car might seem as being kindhearted but it very risky. Women take advantage of this and ask strangers for help only to blackmail them for money. More so it is not safe to let strangers give you a ride because you might never know their motives.



Downtown
When travelling to downtown parts of the city always take extra precaution. Never leave your house wearing that expensive bracelet or earrings if you are going to pass through the lower side of the city. They are most likely going to be snatched from you by people who think they have better uses of them than you.
Hold your handbag very tightly towards you if you are a lady and  make sure that you put  your valuables deeper in your backpack. And do not talk on the phone while walking on the street because it is definitely going to be snatched on streets like Luwum and William in Kampala

.

Beat the blackout blues

You can stop cussing UMEME and make good use of electricity power blackouts, its possible. Here are a few suggestive ways on how you can make life go on without whining about the power outages synonymous with the power distribution company.

Visit a friend

You can catch up on lost friends when there is no power. There is always that special friend you have been neglecting of late because you have been busy watching Series and Soap operas. Now you have no excuse go and catch up on lost times. 










Call friends

At least 6 out of 10 of Ugandans have more than one mobile line including you, take advantage of that. Telecom companies have promos where they offer reduced call rates on same network calls. Airtel has Kika where you can get 30 minutes of talk time for just 1000 shs and Warid has Pakalast. You can talk with your pals for all that long and might even forget you in a blackout, see who needs electricity except to charge!!!!!!!!




Do some exercises

All of us have cravings for those abs as seen in most music videos. You can work on that now since there is no  movies, Don't mess with an angel, Agataliiko Nfufu, Video games or internet to distract you. Simple exercises like sit-ups, jump skipping, stretching and push-ups can do the trick. Just imagine looking in your mirror to see your much desired new shape when power comes back. 


Meditate

Who does not desire peace of mind ?. Our minds need to be at peace in order to be in good shape. Meditation helps one to reflect on what has been happening during the course of the day. It can be a good stress removal from our minds. Just picture yourself having internal peace reflecting on your goals and aspiration for the future in a serene environment.


Tell tales

Our fore-fathers used to tell stories as a means of informal education to their children before invention of electricity. So why not go the traditional way, after all we were not born in electrified places most of us. For parents, power blackouts can be a moment to talk to your kids about life building ways. Now is the time to have parent -child talk which is usually rare to most parents.






Play games on your phone


For the teen in us, you can play games on your phone during power outages. Most phones come loaded with games of all sorts. Or you can download some from websites like waptrick.com. However your phone has to be with a lasting battery life.




Go to your local bar


In case of power blackouts, it is most likely that your local bar has a standby generator to mitigate that. There fore you can easily catch up on your favorite soap, news broadcast on soccer match from your local bar. Also you are protected from bore-doom at home in pitch blackness when you go to your local hangout and socialise.










Finally sleep
This is the most natural way to react when you are at home and power suddenly goes. You now have all the time to catch up on all the lost sleep if you are a workaholic. The brains desperately need to rest and you can just do that when power goes by taking a nap until power comes back.

Social slang in Uganda

Album launch- Artists introducing new songs to the public officially

A crowd during an album launch

Rolex-Chapati rolled with fried eggs

Special- Cab

Campuser-University student

Tycoon- Social spendthrift

One of Uganda's tycoons

Malaya- Prostitute

Summers- Ugandans on holiday from abroad

Shell-Refueling station

Model- Petite lady

Mzee-Elder

Easter merry-making

The Easter holiday has come once again bringing another holiday. To the civil servants that means another four day holiday starting from Good Friday up to Easter Monday. To the business class that means another mouthwatering chance to make a quick buck from those preparing festivities during the Easter holiday. Every one is busy shopping delicacies to devour on the D-Day. The local butcher is not left out in this as everyone has to include the much desire beef on their Easter menu at whatever cost. The butcher does not even mind closing up shop later than the usual hours because he has to make as much profits as he can on this once-a-year day.  All the parking lots of the supermarkets and shopping malls get filled to capacity.

Shopping in downtown Kampala

To the old fashioned, Easter holiday means having to travel back to their home villages and share the fun with their extended families.  This means that a lot of shopping has to be done in order to have items to take back to the village from the city. In the current economic crisis it is only the privileged few who can still afford to buy new clothings for their loved ones on Easter as the norm was. Operators of transport means are not left behind in cashing in on the Easter holiday season. Many people have to travel a lot like doing shopping and travelling up-country to their home villages. This drives transport fares to be hiked almost triple than the normal fee due to the huge human traffic.

All city junctions get filled up with traffic of all forms, cars, buses, Boda Bodas, Bicycles and humans rushing to perform their numerous errands or getting to their homes.

Some churches even prepare special prayers for their brethren on this special day. Namboole stadium attracts a lot of traffic in a bid to attend Easter prayers prepared by christian leaders with special themes.

Luwombo, a local delicacy common at Easter meals

The Easter menu has to include all the local delicacies like rice, matooke, beef, chicken, green vegetables, macaroni washed down with a soda or a beer. This kind of meal can not be afforded by an average Uganda but everything has to be done possible to make it on the dining table on Easter at whatever cost even if it means saving.

• After the heavy Easter meal, then its time for continuing the fun else where, going out or joining up with friends and other relatives becomes the next agenda for the day. Many concerts are organised with a lot of activities like theatre, comedy, music festivals and many others according to one's taste. Fun continues until the wee hours of the morning and Easter Monday is a day to kill off the hangover and a day to have a climax of the Easter fun to others

Having fun at a concert

Traveling in Uganda

                                                               
There are many available means of transport to choose from within the country. This depends on one's budget, urgency, distance. location and time period. The means available include buses, commuter taxis, special hire cabs, motor cycles, bicycles, ferries and aero-planes.

Pioneer Easy Bus service

This is a revived transport means in the city center and the neighboring suburbs like Kawempe, Bweyogerere, Kireka, Ntinda and Bwaise. Its the most relatively cheap means of transport as it charges a flat fee which is half of what the public commuter taxis charge.

The buses have well built stops where commuters can wait for the buses to arrive and they are well sheltered fro the harsh weather conditions which are common in the country like sudden heavy downpours and bright sunshine. These take relatively longer periods to reach designated destinations because they load a maximum of 61 passenger however time wasted at the bus stop is compensated with the amount  of shillings saved. Buses charge a flat rate of 800 Shs and passengers going to and from outskirts of Kampala save about 1000Shs if they take the bus more especially during peak hours of the day. However, buses are more suitable for those who travel to city suburbs.

A taxi park in Kampala

Taxis or Kamunyes are the most common means of transport in the country. These can be found in almost all parts of the country. They are licensed to carry 14 passengers but depending on time of day and location overloading is done though it is illegal. These have designated parks where they are found but they can also be accessed anywhere since they pick passengers along their routes. Taxis charge according to distance but they can over charge during peak hours of the day. They are convenient for both short and long distances since they can  stop anywhere.



Boda Boda motorcyclists are another means of transport in Uganda. These are fast, convenient and easily accessible anywhere. It is the most convenient means to beat the peak hour traffic jam in the city center and during late night travel to outskirts of the city center. Price usually depends on one's negotiating ability with the cyclist.However they are not for the fainthearted since some Boda Boda operators are famous for reckless riding. These can go any distance depending on the customer's needs and budget.

Bicyclists also provide another means of transport in Uganda. These mainly operate around busy traffic junctions and in rural areas. These load a single passenger and in the city center are used to beat the heavy traffic jam at places like Queens' Way. Price usually depends on the distance and the negotiating ability of the customer.
These usually operate during the day time period.

Special Hire cabs are used to travel privately. They charge according to the distance, time of the day and negotiating ability of the customer.Mostly found in the urban centers. They operate 24 hour periods.

Flight services are used mostly for international travel. However chartered flights can be arranged within the country. The major airport is at Entebbe on international level and many air fields are found in other parts of the country. There are international airline services like Qatar Air and British Airways and many local ones carrying out operations in the country.

 Ferry services are used to move from mainland to island ares of the country like Kalangala Island.