The Ministry of Education has reminded public transporters to respect traffic rules and guidelines regarding the transportation of students at the beginning and closing of school terms.

The reminder comes a few days to the end of first term on April 3.

The call was made Friday during a meeting between the State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Mathias Harebamungu, traffic police and representatives of transport companies.

Students are expected to travel in three shifts across the country; the first one being on the April 3, and the other two on the following days. 

Students in boarding schools from Nyanza, Huye Kamonyi and Nyaruguru in South will board on April 3.

The same applies for students from Rubavu, Rusizi and Nyamasheke district from West, and the City of Kigali. They will report back on April 25.

In the remaining districts from Western and Southern Province, students will board on April 4 for holidays and report back on April 26.

"We are expecting drivers to be the most serious as they transport students. They constitute the country’s future and playing with their lives is not acceptable.” Harebamungu said.

The minister was responding to complaints raised by Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority and the police about transporters who pick students from schools later than agreed.

Some drivers allegedly break traffic rules with impunity when ferrying students. Deo Muvunyi, the director of transport at RURA said that there have been instances where transporters promise to pick students at 9 am but keep them waiting until 3 pm. He said the buses end up dropping students at the bus terminals late in the evening.

It was decided that transport companies should reach schools on time and that buses carrying students would be monitored.

Students in the Northern and Eastern Province will go for holidays on April 5 and report back on April 26 of the same month.