KIGALI - Motorcyclists around Kigali have said that the road safety week which was launched on Monday will help them to be more vigilant while carrying out their daily activities.

Ayubu Sindambiwe, a motorbike taxi operator at the central business district said; "The road safety week is crucial to us because it helps us to effectively fulfil our daily responsibilities in the transport sector.”

Jean Marie Ndicunguye, another operator based in Nyamirambo, said the safety awareness period enables them to remain updated on road safety regulations.

"We don’t get enough time to listen to the traffic police programs on radio and television stations due to the nature of our work; so the road safety week is an opportunity for us to know more about how we can securely transport our clients,” Ndicunguye said.

He called upon the police to also reach out to pedestrians by instructing them on road safety regulations, saying they also trigger some of the road accidents.

Simon Pierre Urimubeshi, the president of Rwanda Federation of Taxi Motorcycle Cooperatives (FERWACOTAM), noted that currently, over 95 percent of motorcyclists operating within Kigali City wear helmets while carrying passengers.

 He pointed out that majority of motorcyclists have acquired driving licenses compared to the previous years. He added that the federation in partnership with the traffic police, would continue to crackdown on those without driving permits.

 Urimubeshi observed that most road accidents in Kigali occur due to the high number of inexperienced motorcyclists in the city, saying that federation will address the issue in collaboration with police.

He asked passengers to always report reckless motorcyclists to the concerned authorities like Police.

Meanwhile, Charles Ngarambe, the chairman of Rwanda Public Transport Association (RPTA) encouraged commuter drivers countrywide, to promote professionalism while carrying out their duties.

He requested drivers to avoid reckless driving and over-speeding, adding that RPTA had trained many drivers on various issues regarding road safety countrywide.

Ngarambe alsorevealed that the association had instituted several penalties, among them, salary deduction for drivers involved in road accidents.

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