Almost a year after operators stopped using taxi moto smart metres, government has reintroduced the gadgets but with a promise to review downwards the transport fare.

The smart metres, which automatically generate the fare after a passenger is dropped off, had been stopped amidst complaints by passengers, who said the cost was prohibitive.

There were also discrepancies with the companies that had been contracted to supply the metres to the motorcycle operators, including limited supply, according to Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA).

Speaking to The New Times, Aaron Ndagijimana, the economic regulation officer at RURA, all problems which had initially inhibited the project have been resolved and the price is among them.

He said they had received different complaints regarding the use of metres last year – both from the side of the taxi moto operators and the passengers – and they had to shut it down for better preparation for both sides.

"There were various issues and the price was among them but now what we can assure the public is that the prices have been lowered and it will be fair for both sides,” Ndagijimana said on Monday, August 9.

With the metres, the operators charged Rwf300 for the first two kilometres and Rwf135 per kilometre for the rest of the journey, which many commuters found inconveniencing.

Under ordinary circumstances, there is no tariff and the fare has to be negotiated between the rider and the passenger.

According to Ndagijimana, they will soon announce the new tariff but assured people that it will be revised downwards.

He added that people have to understand that the metres come with several other advantages, including safety of the passengers since they use a GPS system that makes it easy to track the riders in case of anything.

The installation and maintenance of metres started on Monday, August 9, and it will end on September 3, with a target of 26,000 motorbikes operating in Kigali.

Later, they will roll out the exercise to other parts of the country.

Three companies have been contracted to supply and install the metres; Yego Innovision, Pascal Technology and AC Group.

Aline Uwamahoro, Strategy and Partnership Manager at Yego Innovision, said that they are ready to work with the riders and give them better service, adding that they have addressed all anomalies encountered last year.

According to Uwamahoro last year in they had installed 800 gadgets, adding that they have now significantly increased their capacity and services.

In an interview, Daniel Ntaganda, the chairperson of Rwanda Federation of Taxi-Moto Operators said that he was optimistic all issues raised by both riders and passengers had been addressed.

For instance, he said that the riders will sign a contract with suppliers to pay for the metres in instalments spread out in two years. He said that each metre costs Rwf200,000 which was out of reach for the operators.

How it will work

"We are working within cooperatives instead of dealing with individuals in rolling out this installation exercise and we believe that this will be helpful for follow up on working of bike metres,” he said.

He added that fines have been set for any cooperative whose members will not follow the use of metres.

"Cooperatives will be the ones to be punished for the misuse of any metres by their members because they are the ones who must follow up on it and deal with the manufacturers in case of any malfunctioning,” Ntaganda said.

Passengers, riders speak out

Both sides welcomed the initiative and presume that all the issues raised have been answered plus they agree with using metres again.

Gerard Bayavuge, a motorbike rider based at Gasabo district said that he had been given a metre last year but unfortunately it is no longer working due to screen issues.

He added that he was happy and expects that all people involved in this have resolved each and every problem faced in the first phase of the project.

Claude Gasagure, another motorcyclist said that the initiative is good and people should embrace it, adding that it is in line with fighting Covid-19 since it facilitates cashless payment.

Marlaine Dushime, who uses a motorbike on a regular basis, told The New Times that she is happy with this because bargaining was sometimes hard.

She added that the price was also high but expressed hope that the new prices to be announced by the regulator will be affordable.