The Ministry of Infrastructure (Mininfra) has unveiled a new road master plan, incorporating public transport, expanding on aviation and waterways and the feasibility of a multi national railway.

This plan is in line with government’s vision of setting up a long term and sustainable approach to the development of the transport sector by adopting a road development plan and road act that is currently under review at the Ministry of Justice.

The plan also seeks to establish a road maintenance fund whose financing will come from fuel levy to be implemented by the end of this year.

According to Linda Bihire, the Infrastructure Minister, this will address the pressing need to improve the road sector and ensure that necessary steps are taken to facilitate its implementation.

"All road users who utilize fuel will be expected to pay a little more of the normal price to contribute to the road maintenance fund.” Bihire told The New Times at her office yesterday.

This will also make up for the unbalanced share between national, urban and district networks as a result of delayed finalisation of institutional set up and insufficient economic prioritisation of investments.

"We have to balance the share between national, urban and district net work to improve the standards of the target population.” She said.

In a related development, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was yesterday signed between the Ministry and various development partners including the World Bank (WB), European Commission (EC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The MoU will help streamline commitment to a common goal of improving the transport sector in Rwanda by strengthening partnership and national ownership.

EC has already funded the construction of the Gisenyi-Ruhengeri highway and this year there is a proposed funding for construction work along the Kigali, Gatuna road.

According to David MacRea, the Head of EC Delegation to Rwanda, new programmes are underway to focus on building new roads while old ones will be repaired.

"It will also establish a better link between policies and public spending. More effective planning and implementation, monitoring systems and strengthening of road sector service delivery will also get addressed,” MacRea said in a statement.

Ends