Liberal Party (PL) has pledged to ensure a modern bus park and more public transport companies are introduced in Burera District if its members win parliamentary seats during the general elections this month.
The party made the promise during a campaign rally at Nemba Stadium in Burera District, on July 10. The campaign rally was attended by people from Burera, Gakenke and Rulindo districts.
ALSO READ: Rwanda Decides: 12 Key Pledges in Liberal Party’s Five-Year Manifesto
PL which fielded 54 parliamentary aspirants is backing the candidacy of incumbent President Paul Kagame of RPF-Inkotanyi for the presidency.
Epimaque Twagirimana, the party’s second vice president, said that "ensuring the completion of the stalled Base-Butaro-Cyanika border road should be followed by a modern bus park as well as increasing public transport companies on the road."
The agreement to construct the road was signed in 2018 but the project stalled due to various constraints and disagreement with the previous financier.
"Once our members get seats in parliament will have to scrutinize government projects such as the Base-Butaro road that had stalled so that the resumed works are fast-tracked. PL will continue to call for more infrastructure. We have to vote a budget needed to construct a modern park in Burera and introduce more public transport agencies given that the route has only one transport company for passengers," he said.
He said improved transport in the area will enhance trade with other districts.
ALSO READ: Why Base-Kidaho road project stalled
The Base-Butaro-Cyanika road is expected to facilitate tourism and boost economic growth. It will connect the emerging touristic area of Burera and Ruhondo lakes and University of Global Health Equity, the cancer referral hospital of Butaro, as well as link Rwanda to Uganda through Cyanika border.
The district also accommodates Rugezi wetland with 6,000 hectares which is expected to boost eco-tourism in the area.
According to Burera residents, the road will ease transport of agricultural harvest from Burera to neighbouring districts and Kigali. The 63-kilometre road project is also set to connect the districts of Rulindo and Burera as well as Gicumbi.
The revamped road is also set to connect Burera District to Kisoro District in Uganda.
The Base-Butaro-Kidaho road is among many roads to be constructed to connect different provinces of the country.
These include the Nyagatare-Rukomo-Gicumbi-Base road in Rulindo which connects to Burera District. The other road being constructed starts from Ngoma District through Bugesera District to Nyanza District.
Ananias Hafashimana, a resident of Burera District, said: "If the road from Base to Butaro is complete it will facilitate our transport to Butaro cancer treatment hospital and business center. We were paying over Rwf2,000 as transport fare to go to Butaro centre and Burera district headquarters. We hope transport fares could also be reduced by a half. The road will be a blessing to ill people travelling to Butaro hospital."
Hafashimana told The New Times that this road currently has only one public transport company, Shalom Bus Company.
"We hope more public bus companies might come and increase competitiveness and help improve service delivery," he said.
Christine Mugeni, a resident of Nemba Sector, Burera District, added: "PL has pledged to support development projects. In Burera, we need to transport our agricultural produce to different markets. Having easy transport is helpful because we grow different crops."