President Paul Kagame has promised taxi moto operators a quick and permanent solution to their hefty insurance bills, an issue that has plagued the industry for months.

Kagame was speaking on Thursday, August 25, on the first day of his citizen outreach tour where he met over 50,000 residents who had convened in Ruhango District, Southern Province.

His promise was a reaction to a question by one Pierre Bizimana a taxi moto operator based in Ruhango District.

When time came for Bizimana to personally ask a question to President Kagame, he pleaded that motorists are supported to bring down motorcycle insurance premiums that are currently high.

According to Bizimana, he currently pays a bill of Rwf165,000 only for insurance alone, and when added to other charges he can barely win bread for the family.

"We are heavily burdened by the current motorcycle insurance premiums...we request that you intervene and help us find a solution."

This is not the first time operators decry drastic rise in motorcycle insurance premiums, with some policyholders citing a threefold increase.

Just last year, information that The New Times got from Radiant Insurance Company indicates that the annual insurance premium increased from Rwf61,666 to Rwf153,280 for a motorcycle that was manufactured five years ago or less.

Motorcycles that were manufactured six to 10-years-ago buy their premiums at Rwf166,220, up from Rwf61,666 while those that were made more than 10 years ago pay Rwf180,160.

This has previously irked moto operators.

President Kagame said time had come for him to personally intervene in a bid to bring a solution to the matter.

"I will personally take it up," he responded to Bizimana.

According to the Minister for Infrastructure, Ernest Nsabimana, who also attended the Ruhango event, government will in the next two months announce new insurance premiums.

Minister Nsabimana said that a number of proposals had been submitted for consideration, citing that and institutions including the central bank, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning are handling the issue.