Police in the Rwizi region have launched an operation against vehicles operating taxi business without labels.
The operation follows a reported increase in crimes committed by people disguising as taxi operators, some of which have resulted in the loss of lives.
In one of the latest attacks, a woman from Ibanda district was killed by men who were travelling in a Wish motor vehicle which was disguised as a taxi.
It is suspected that the occupants of the motor vehicle trailed her after withdrawing money from a SACCO and later dumped her body in Kakoba, Mbarara.
Rwizi Region Police Spokesperson Samson Kasasira says that initial investigations have shown that criminals are using unlabelled vehicles to Kidnap, rob and kill people.
He says that the operation which will be extended to all the seven districts in the region will first weed out all vehicles that are not labeled with the required marks.
Kasasira says the operation will also extend to those taxi operators who operate from areas not gazetted for loading passengers.
Alone Kanyesigye, the Chairperson of Mbarara United Taxi Operators Cooperative Union says that the operation was long overdue, and also calls for stringent penalties for the masterminds.
