It was not until recently that several side roads sprung up across the City of Kigali, with a view to easing pressure on the capital’s main arteries. To some extent, this has helped ease traffic congestion, especially during morning and evening peak hours. 

Time is money and commuters waste a lot of it in traffic jams, losing huge amounts of money in the process.

While there has been no research to determine how much time we lose in traffic jams in Rwanda, a 2019 study found that the average American commuter wastes 54 extra hours a year in traffic delays.

According to the report, by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the said "extra hours” amounted to two and a half days. It also indicated that commuters in the 15 most-congested US cities spent an average of 83 hours stuck in traffic in 2017. 

While it may not necessarily be the same situation in Kigali, the truth is that we all have lost and continue to lose valuable hours while in traffic. Employees, students and businesses are among the most affected.

New side road routes have increasingly been constructed in different parts of the city but, bizarrely, some motorists still prefer to use clogged highways, even during peak hours, instead of making use of the alternative roads.

This is one of the reasons why traffic jams have persisted, at least in some areas. 

As part of preparations for next month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), more side roads have been built or expanded in recent months further broadening available options for motorists. 

In particular, these secondary roads will come in handy when dozens of high-profile delegations from around the world descend on the capital for the 26th edition of CHOGM, as several major roads will be blocked and reserved for guests.  

That’s why, as officials have advised, motorists should familiarise themselves with side roads – not just because of CHOGM 2022 but with a view to continue using them to avoid traffic jams long after the meeting has ended.