The first car-free zone in the City of Kigali (CoK) debuted with calm and quiet at KN 4 Ave as ‘Kigalians’ experienced, for the first time, an area devoid of cars and motorcycles, where they can walk freely without fear of being knocked by speeding motorists. 

People were walking freely on the street but it was easily obvious that they weren’t used to the set-up. Early morning, a swarm of smartly dressed police officers and their counterparts in traffic were stationed at the far ends of KN 4 Ave to direct traffic in case people forgot or others deliberately refused to adhere to the new policy.

Video: Kigali will never be the same again. Source: The New Times/YouTube

Other streets such as KN 78 St. (Ecole Belge Street) and KN 84 St. (below the car-free zone street) also had police officers to enforce the no-parking rule.

The Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana, City Mayor Fidele Ndayisaba, and Traffic and Road safety Commissioner, George Rumanzi came in person to oversee the transition.

As police continuously told people that they couldn’t use certain roads, they also asked people not to park at certain spots that have since been designated no parking zones. Such areas include KN 78 St. (Ecole Belge Street) and KN 84 St. (below the car free zone street), among others.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing was to see people using the Zebra crossings, forgetting it’s a car-free zone and there will not be any vehicles or motorbikes speeding by.

Business concerns

The CoK designated parking areas, especially for employees of organisations and businesses that operate in the affected areas. These include basements of the Bank of Kigali (BK) building, M Peace Plaza, Kigali City Tower, Centenary House, Grand Pension Plaza and Camp Kigali.

On Sunday, CoK officials held a meeting with businessmen who operate around the affected area to reassure them that it was in their best interest because car-free zones are good for business.

But some businesses, mostly electronic shops, looked like they were having a slow day.

Florence Bagwaneza, a salesperson at a Konka electronics shop along KN 4 Ave, expressed concerns in the wake of the enforcement of the car-free zone policy.

"Bringing in more merchandise during the day won’t happen again. We might have to shift because transporting heavy things in a care-free zone might cause damage to the products. For us, it’s not a good move,” she said.

However, airtime vendors on the street say that nothing has really changed in their business because their biggest customers have always been pedestrians.

"Nothing has really changed in our sales. Usually our biggest customers are pedestrians, so to us it is fine.

Maybe now that there are no cars, it will be easy to cross the road to get airtime to customers on the other side,” said Aimable Bigirimana, an airtime vendor.

Benjamin Musuhuke, who often uses Grand Pension Plaza parking, said that although it’ll take time for people to adjust, it’s a good development that will make our city better.

"This is the third time I’ve come to park here because I can’t park on the street. It’s still confusing for most people, including myself because we are still trying to memorise which streets we can use and where to park. However, I feel that people will adapt to these changes and everything will move smoothly,” he said.

Rima Kohli, an Indian national, said the area can now be used for picnics, evening strolls and street festivals.

"I have been to places like New York where such places are used for picnics, streets festivals and it’s pretty awesome. So, I think this is a good thing that can continue to generate income in one way or another,” she said.

For now, it seems like we have to be patient to see the fruits of this move but it should also be an avenue of businesses like restaurants, coffee shops and shopping arcades. There should also be seating arrangements while introducing entertainment would make the whole experience exciting.

The reforms are part of a broader plan to designate parts of the Central Business District as vehicle free zones as the City embarks on a green transport policy envisaged in its Master Plan.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw