KIGALI - Amidst the alarming public transport crisis in Kigali city, there are also those at the center of making things worse instead of being the answer.

Investigations by The New Times have revealed that drivers of the Omni-buses which are the common mode of transport in this city are involved in some kind of robbery against their passengers.

The drivers have resorted to hiking fares during the peak hours in the evenings when there are more people at the bus stop coming from work.

Normally, the taxi fares from the city to most destinations in the suburbs is Rwf 170.

However, what seems to amaze many passengers is the fact that in the evenings, some drivers hike this fee to an exorbitant rate of Rwf 300.

This reporter spoke to some concerned passengers who were travelling to Kimironko on Friday at around 8a.m.

"We passengers on the Remera-Kanombe route have become used to this trend as if it were normal because when it hits six in the evening, the fare rises from Rwf 150 to Rwf 200 and when you complain, the taxi conductor will tell you to get out of the taxi if you cannot pay the specified amount,” lamented Charity Mbabazi.

Another passenger, Emile Nkuranga whom this reporter met at the Rubangura Taxi stop was so furious at how these drivers and conductors were treating passengers. He called upon the authorities to intervene in the matter. 

"What can we do? We have become used to this situation, and you cannot refuse to board the taxi just because you know that you might get the next one in an hour or two and you remain with no option but to pay whatever fare that has been set,” said Timothy Bizimungu.

The vice chairperson of the body in charge of the taxis (ATRACO) Issa Ngeze, made it clear in a phone interview with The New Times that it is extremely illegal for the taxi operators to charge high fares to passengers.

"I want to ask the people (passengers) to help us get these people who are doing this and deal with them accordingly because there is a standard fare which is supposed to be observed by all taxi operators and no one is allowed to cheat passengers,” he emphasised.

Ngeze added that they had put two patrol cars in town that are always on the move and two telephone lines where passengers can call and report such incidences.

"We shall not hesitate to catch up with such characters if we get alerted. However, it is the passengers that are going to help us overcome that problem and we believe that through that cooperation, we shall do away with it,” he added.

Ends