Transporters want Rwanda to drop its biannual inspection of cross-border cargo trucks.
Transporters want Rwanda to drop its biannual inspection of cross-border cargo trucks in line with the rest of the region’s more convenient yearly process.
In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, renewals of certificates of roadworthiness are carried out after a year, but Rwanda requires truck inspection every six months. The Rwandans say this hurts their revenues and competitiveness.
“Since we are cross-border transporters, our trucks spend days and months abroad and by the time they return, and the inspection certificate has expired, we have to ground the trucks until another certificate is available,” said Abdul Ndarubogoye, the chairman of the Rwanda Cross Border Transporters Association.
The transporters complain about delays at the inspection centres of between four and 10 days.
There are costs of feeding and accommodation for drivers during such waiting period, costs that are passed on to importers making transportation of containers to Rwanda expensive.
While the Rwandans have boosted their fleets to compete for the regional cargo transport business, the share of foreign trucks delivering goods to the country remains high.
State Minister for Transport Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye promised to meet with the Commissioner of Traffic Police to explore how to expedite the inspection.