Dear editor,

Through your paper allow me to wish Dr. Kirabo Kacyira, the Mayor of the beautiful Kigali City a happy 2009 and thank her for keeping our city cleaner everyday.

Your worship, however, taxi drivers are making our lives in the city very miserable. Madam, these taxi operators have continued ‘squeezing’ passengers like sardines in their vehicles.

Imagine the inconvenience tax payers and tourists in your city go through as they look for the taxes that have made the city win international awards.

But your worship, what annoys me most is the fact that the drivers have developed another bad habit of hooting—in the name of attracting passengers to their cargo vans like vehicles. As they hoot madam, they pollute the environment with noise.

They started this irritating habit when the 25-seater mini buses that charge the same fare and more comfortable as they were manufactured for passengers were introduces on most routes in the city.

Dr Kirabo, I am particularly concerned after medical experts warned me that noise pollution poses a health problem. The scientists explained that noise causes stress, ‘which is a leading cause of illness and suicide.’

Madam the pollution we go through is leaves us very annoyed, some times we have sleeplessness nights, and several stress reaction, these are elements to prove that vehicles are a nuisance therefore a health hazard.

I therefore ask your office to ban these taxis from operating in the city. But before you enforce this, please talk Col Dodo Twahirwa to educate his people to stop his drivers from hooting anyhow.

Nyamirambo