Mention Onatracom and you will be sure to evoke mixed feelings in same individuals. The feeling could be summed up in two words: necessary inconvenience.

The public transport utility is like a black spot that just won’t go away. Or, put another way, it is like the dirt you are condemned to live with whenever you need it.

Travelling by Onatracom is pain, frustration and anxiety, all packaged in one journey, at the end of which the relief is written in economic sense.

Pain, frustration and anxiety because of the decrepit nature of the buses, but you will be relieved at the end of your journey when you consider that the transport fare is lower compared to other regional buses when travelling across the borders.

I recently returned to Kigali by an Onatracom bus from Uganda via Gatuna border post. I had boarded the bus at 11pm in Masaka.

Onatracom had not been my first choice but I had missed the others.

Inside, I headed for the back seats, but reaching there was a hustle, for luggage was strewn all over the walk way. More luggage was strewn between the seats – whose tired cushions told a story of their own.

In motion, rickety seats became a cacophony of sounds that would make the chirping of quelea quelea (rice birds) look nothing but mellow sounds.

I thought maybe I had occupied a damaged seat. I looked across and asked my fellow passenger. His smile said it all: such was the norm.

The journalist in me struck up conversations with some passengers about my impression of the bus ride. Of course, the majority view was that the anticipated revamp of Onatracom is long in coming.

"We used to have many buses from Kampala to Kigali daily, but nowadays you book Onatracom unsure of whether you will travel; there is no standard time for departure as is with the other buses that ply regional routes.

But then again, what do you do when the weight of your wallet dictates that you consider the cheapest means available for travel?” Liliane Tukamushaba, a businesswoman, said.

Onatracom charges UShs25,000 (about Rwf6,000) from Kampala to Kigali, while other bus operators charge between Rwf10,000 to Rwf12,500.

Emmanuel Hakizimana, a Rwandan businessman living and working in Kampala, also expressed disappointment in the bus.

"We have so far stopped twice since leaving Kampala. Thirty minutes into the journey, the bus got a flat tyre and we had to get off until it was fixed. These seats you see shaking, it is due to lack of maintenance, otherwise this bus is strong but no one cares,” Hakizimana said.

He appealed to the government to intervene.

"The government should look into this issue; it is shaming us, we are ranked well in Eastern Africa in many areas but transport sector needs fixing, more so for cross-border operators like Onatracom.”

Another businesswoman whose identity Saturday Times could not establish claimed she has been travelling by Onatracom for the last five years.

"It is always like this but you understand the reason why no one pays attention,” the woman said.

Explaining the problem

Maj Theodore Gakuba, the director-general of Onatracom, acknowledged the challenges.

"We used to have many buses plying Kigali-Kampala route but many of our buses are now old and not fit for cross-border transport. We cannot manage to send six buses daily as it was before,” he said.

Gakuba explained that the buses being used on Kigali-Kampala route were procured in 2008, yet it is not advisable to have a bus that has been in use for more than five years on the road.

"They are old and worn out, some have been involved in accidents, which has reduced road-worthy fleet. The competition is high now unlike before when there was only Jaguar Bus Company plying the same route.

Currently, there are Trinity Bus, Kampala Coach and Simba Coach,” Gakuba said.

He said Onatracom’s mission is to serve those who may not afford the fare for other buses.

"Whenever we cease operations on the Kigali-Kampala route, people come here to complain, so to keep the route served we provided one bus daily, whereby we assume if there is a mechanical problem out of the five buses available, one can replace another for emergency,” the public transport utility director said.

Several buses, some noticeably beyond repair, are parked at Onatracom premises in Nyamirambo, a Kigali suburb.

Of a fleet of 160 buses (as per the 2013 Auditor-General’s report), only 40 were reported to still be operational. But even those that could be used, only 32 were road-worthy.

At the height of the problem in 2013, the government resolved to privatise the company to turn it into a self-sustaining and profitable business.

But three foreign companies that expressed interest in running Onatracom have since pulled out. The government reacted by interesting local investors into taking up the public transport utility.

Gakuba assured the public that plans were underway to buy new buses under a joint venture with private sector having 50 per cent shares.

"I am happy you are here now addressing the passengers concerns, this is the right time. As we wait for new buses to be procured, we have another bus ready to reinforce our fleet. This should be on the Kigali-Kampala route by next week. It is comfortable with nice and clean seats. With current reforms, we expect a lot to happen,” Gakuba said.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw