Personal background

The selected respondents’ personal backgrounds are categorically expressed below; Junior is a 27 years old male cohabiting with a woman and one child. With senior four formal training (grade 11), he joined the commercial taxi business as a taxi charges collector. Later he was trained by a friend driver how to drive. By the interview time he had had a five (05) years’experience as a driver and three (03) years as a taxi charges collector. He had been involved in three (03) accidents; two (02) of which he was the driver. He accounted for those when he was the driver the serious accidents ever experienced. His daily work is characterised by shifts of driving work among different taxis. That is he does not drive any single taxi permanently, he rents the available taxis for hours from the willing fellow drivers. For instance he has one vehicle he rents for four hours every day, after driving that one he asks any other drivers who can rent to him their taxis to boost the day’s income. As he stated here “sometimes I get different drivers who may give me their routes for about a total of five

or more hours in town service”. However, it is usually not a smooth go - “they help me but out of hardship, those who allow togive me their taxis, ask for high rental charges!” Junior.

Desire for basic human satisfaction, for example Junior further expressed that “I wish to

save as much as I can to be able to fulfil my human needs e.g. to pay rent and be able to buy clothes for my girlfriend and take good care of my child when I can still fulfil all”.

Joseph is a 39 years old Muslim man, cohabiting with two women and children born of one of them. However, he was not comfortable to say the number of children he has because in cultural restraints. With primary four education, he joined the commercial taxi business through a friend also a taxi driver; who trained him how to drive. This respondent initially

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worked at a petrol station, from where he also gained a self-styled experience through trial- driving on customers’ vehicles brought for tyre repair. He also learned driving by observing steering and gears manipulations as done by customers, whenever they brought or picked the vehicles from servicing. He is employed by a business woman– owner of the taxi, his working day usually runs between 1am and 6pm though sometimes may stretch beyond 6pm when passengers are available.

By the interview time he had had 10 years’ experience as a taxi driver and he had been involved in one (01) serious accident as he accounts below;

In addition to this serious accident he has been involved in four (04) minor accidents. Like other workers he expressed his motivation for work as “I want to be self-reliant, able to fulfil

mine and others human needs for whom am responsible”.

Bob he is a 33years old man cohabiting with a woman and five children. With senior two (grade 12) education level, he joined the commercial taxi business through a friend who trained him how to drive. In addition to this training he by himself acquired additional practice by parking the car whenever his brother got back home from work. He is now employed by a taxi owner; unlike some taxi drivers he drives one taxi every day. His day’s work normally runs from 5am to midnight (24:00 o’clock), for some days however, retiring time vacillates depending on the passengers’ availability. By the interview period he had a 12 years’ experience as a taxi driver. He had been involved in two (02) serious accidents one of which he was the driver. He had been involved in other minor accidents-which he said “these

normally occur to almost all drivers”.

Alex is 42 years old married man with children- due to cultural disquiet this respondent was too uncomfortable with mentioning the number of his children. After a short period of formal training- “I went to school for a very short time”- he joined the commercial taxi

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business through friends who trained him how to drive. Later they helped him to go for a driving test after passing it he got a driving permit. This driver employed by a vehicle owner, he drives for 12 hours each new day. At the interview time, he had been involved in one serious accident.

Henry is a 48years old married man with children. He trained for driving and got a permit from a driving school in Masaka city. He was employed by a vehicle owner; his working day ran between 8:00am to 5:00pm. By the interview time, with a 20 years’ experience in the taxi business, he had been involved in one serious accident.

David is a 38 years old married man with three children. Formally he studied up to senior one (grade eight). Regarding driving, he was first trained by experienced drivers while he served as a turn-boy on the respective truck vehicles. Later when he was about to join the taxi business he trained again in order to get a driving permit. He is employed by a taxi owner, his day’s work runs between 6am and or 6pm. During his eleven years’ experience as a taxi driver, he got involved in one fatal accident

Table 2: Summarized respondents' formal training and driving training

Formal training

Junior Joseph Bob Alex Henry David

School training

grade senior grade senior grade primary grade senior

52 didn’t study much” went to school for a very short time” Driving training A Friend A Friend A Friend A Friend A driving school A driving school Source: researcher

The above table indicates that four of the six drivers were trained for driving by friends and two were trained from driving schools. Accordingly, of the six (06) study participants they are two who have drivers’ licence.