Editor,

RE: "Seven killed, nine injured in city road accident” (The New Times, June 10).

More reason for the authorities to be completely intolerant of any vehicles that do not meet the strictest mechanical safety tests as well as drivers (especially of such heavy and potentially most dangerous vehicles) who drive so recklessly and fail to respect speed limitations.

We cannot afford to continue seeing innocent fellow Rwandans dying on our roads either because some people are continuing to push these kinds of death-dealing contraptions on our roads when they are unsafe, or drivers who drive so recklessly they put the rest of us road-users and even other innocent people going about their daily business in such deadly danger.

A final comment: initial reports on social media had pictures of the dead lying in the street with crowds of gawking spectators looking on from the sides of the road. This is completely wrong from many aspects.

The first thing the police must do in such cases is to establish a wide cordon around the accident scene, chase away such spectators (only those needed to be there, such as emergency responders and accident and crime investigators, should be allowed within the cordon).

All efforts should also be made to safeguard the dignity of the victims. Just because they may be dead or in no condition to care, does not dispense us from doing everything in our power to ensure their privacy and dignity are not violated.

It would be extremely unconscionable for relatives and friends, for instance, to learn about what had befallen their loved or dear ones from pictures splattered in social media. Those who are still alive have an obligation to continue to maintain the dignity and memory of those who can’t do it for themselves. That is what Agaciro is about.

My sincerest condolences to the bereaved families and friends, and prayers for the speedy and complete recovery for the injured!

Mwene Kalinda

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My condolence to the families that lost their loved ones!

If you have been at Kicukiro accident area, last week’s tragedy won’t look like an accident—it was a disaster waiting to happen. Buses and coasters there perform U-turns and park in congestion to get passengers in very narrow road congested with people to and from the market with speeding car to and from Nyamata.

If nothing is done, it is a matter of time before many others follow not only at Kicukiro, but also other areas like near Kimironko market.

John