Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority (Rura) and Kigali City authorities have moved in to avert a looming transport crisis.

Three private investors have been contracted to manage the new transport system despite concerns that the shortage of taxis could still dent the efficiency of the transport system.

Starting August, 30, the three investors; Kigali Bus Service (KBS), Rwanda Federation of Transport Co-operative (RFTC), and Royal Express will take over the responsibility of transporting the passengers.

But as they take on the challenge, they all admit that the shortage of vehicles in the market is still a problem.

“The demand for more vehicles to transport passengers is still there and we encourage more people to invest in this industry because it is going to be profitable,” says the Mayor of Kigali Fidel Ndayisaba.

Statistics show that there are about 200,000 passengers in Kigali who use taxis daily and this, according to industry players is a big number which cannot be satisfied by the available taxis.

In the current market, there are only 800 mini-buses with the capacity to carry 18 passengers, 250 mini buses carrying between 25 to 30 passengers, and only 40 buses.

Yet the city population is growing daily and it has seen almost a two fold increase in the last 10 years.

The population of Kigali was at 608,141 as per last census carried out in August 2002. The government estimates the population now at approximately 1,052,540 in 2011.

Seat capacities

At present, there are 41 companies and co-operative societies which operate different types of public transport vehicles, the major market share of vehicles come from individual operators.

READ: Rura accuses bus firms of forming cartel over fares

The individual operators provide 91 per cent of the total available seat capacity, according to figures from Ministry of Infrastructure.

For instance, out of 135,680 seat capacity buses, coasters and minibuses cater for 85 per cent of the total supply, whereas cabs and motorcycle taxis provide 2 per cent and 13 per cent of the passenger capacity respectively.

Minibuses, having 18 seat capacities are the principle mode of transport, which cater for 76 per cent of the total supply.

It is, therefore, evident that public transport services organised by the private operators in Rwanda is dominated by individual or small operators having smaller vehicles, such as minibuses and motorbikes.

Before the end of this year, Rura is expected to conduct a passenger demand survey to determine the exact number of taxis needed to satisfy the market.

The new policy to streamline public transport comes a year after the Cabinet’s decision of October 2012 on public transport in Rwanda.

Subsequent to the cabinet approval of the new public transport policy and strategy for Rwanda in October 2012, the City of Kigali in collaboration with Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (Rura) embarked on implementation process starting with the reorganisation of urban public transport.

Today, Kigali public transport is terrible and time consuming. During peak hours, long queues are a common sight and passengers are seen fighting for transport.

It would take one more than two hours to a get a taxi for instance, from Kigali to Remera, Kimironko, a distance of about six kilometres in the evening.

The Mayor said, “The new public transport system will solve the problem the city residents are currently facing in accessing public transport.”

Though Rura did not specify the penalties to be imposed to investors who don’t abide by the new arrangement, the Director General of Rura, Regis Gatarayiha indicated that, there will be a monitoring team on daily basis to check whether the contractors are working effectively.

“The new system will be effectively monitored and the nature of contract we shall enter into with the new players will be clear,” Mr Gatarayiha explained.

He said: “The new strategy is in line with the new public transport policy approved by Cabinet last year and is aimed at putting in place a clear and favourable regulatory framework that encourages investment in public transport as a lucrative sector in the City of Kigali.”

The mayor said the new system will encourage the use of modern, smart and bigger buses appropriate for public transport along congested roads in the City of Kigali.

He also explained that the current system is not reliable as some private players are only motivated by profits but not serving people in a committed way.

“When people are stranded, you discover the taxi owners have parked their cars and taken them to washing bays which will not be allowed with the investors,” the mayor said.

Under the new transport system arrangement, daily working hours start at 5h00 to 23h00 without fail. The operators are also required to be at the terminals at an interval of 5 minutes apart between each bus service during peak hours and 15 minutes between each bus during at off peak hours.

“The element under the new contract which requires transporters to be available at bus stops after every 5 minutes is complicated because passengers will obviously delay,” explains Nilla Muneza, the Managing Director of Royal Express Ltd.

He says the system might not solve the crisis in the short term and long queues will remain but in long run, the new arrangement will be effective as the contractors import more cars.

The companies have been allocated the routes. Kigali Bus Service (KBS) will operate in Zone I and over Remera, Kanombe, Kabeza, Nyarugunga, Rusororo (Kabuga), Masaka, and Ndera Sectors.

READ: Rwandan public transporters to bid for routes and join co-operatives

The trunk routes for this zone shall include the main routes connecting it to the CBD or to Nyabugogo Taxi Park.

Royal Express Ltd will operate in Zone II and it will cover Niboye, Kicukiro (Sonatubes, Centre), Gahanga, Gatenga, Gikondo and Kigarama. The trunk routes of this zone shall include the main routes connecting it to the CBD and to Nyabugogo Taxi Park.

Routes allocated

While Rwanda Federation of Transport Cooperatives (RFTC) will operate in Zone III and it will cover Kimironko, Kinyinya (Kagugu & Dutchwelle), Gisozi, Kacyiru, New Gakinjiro, Batsinda, Kibagabaga, Kimihurura, Nyarutarama and the trunk routes of this public transport zone shall include the main routes connecting it to the CBD and to the Nyabugogo and Kimironko Taxi Parks.

Zone IV which covers Kimisagara, Nyakabanda, Nyamirambo, Mageragere, Kigali, Gatsata, Karuruma, Jabana, Nyacyonga, and the trunk, inter and intra zone routes connecting it to the CBD and Nyabugogo Taxi Park will again be managed by RFTC.

Col. Dodo Twahirwa, the president of RFTC asked Rura and Kigali City Council to put in place mechanisms to regulate routes to avoid possible wrangles that might arise if companies operated in routes that did not belong to them.

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