The Senate this week approved the setting up of an agency charged with developing the transport sector in the country.

The Rwanda Transportation Development Agency (RTDA) will be required to set up its own responsibilities, structure and mode of operations.

The agency will support several road construction and repair projects, water, refurbishing and building of airports among others.

The move comes following the Cabinet’s proposed legislation governing the country’s road networks.

The Minister of Infrastructure Eng. Linda Bihire told The New Times recently that the bill elaborates the road networks in Rwanda, defines the responsibilities pertaining to development, rehabilitation maintenance and management of roads and the parties charged with ensuring their preservation.

Normally, roads are classified into various categories depending on their use. In Rwanda the classification of roads was done in 2005 where all roads were categorized into two main classes; district roads and national roads.

Rwandan roads have in the past relied on the basic criteria that include their connectivity, functionality, traffic density, municipal boundaries and socio-economic benefits.
Bihire also said that Rwanda had faced difficulties in managing roads and that the new bill will address all problems related to road management and maintenance.

The government of Rwanda has been spending a lot of money in expropriating people living in road boundaries and this new bill also provides enough space for road reserves that may be used in future just in case there may be need to expand the roads.

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