KIGALI - The Commandant of Traffic Police, Chief Supt. Vincent Sano, yesterday disclosed that over 1,000 motorcycles were seized in August alone for violating traffic rules.

The offences include, transporting more than one passenger, and accepting to transport passengers who don’t wear helmets and the lack of insurance and licenses.

"We impound their ‘motos’ for one month and they also pay a fine before they can get them back,” Sano said.

The traffic police officer explained that locking away the motorcycles is one of the measures taken lately to curb the alarming number of accidents mainly caused by the motorcycles.

These accidents, according to Sano, are also the most fatal.

A motorcycle taxi operator from Kicukiro Centre stage, Martin Mutuyimana, blames most accidents to over-speeding in an attempt to make more money.

"Sometimes, your boss (owner of bike) dictates the sum he expects from you, and if by the end of the evening, you don’t have much, one  starts penetrating traffic jams, over-speeding…. and consequently get knocked down,” he said.

Belinda Umwariwase a Kacyiru resident calls for heavier punishments.

"They get unruly at night because of fewer traffic officers in the roads. They deserve heavier punishments like imprisonment, not just fines,” she said.

Police records indicate that 70 to 80 percent of road accidents involved motorcycles.

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