SOUTHERN PROVINCE

GITARAMA—Commuter taxis were scarce in Gitarama town last Friday as students broke off for second term holiday.

Scores of students heading to Kigali were left stranded in Gitarama Taxi Park.

The second term vacation started last Friday and it’s expected to last up to August.

Most transporters who usually ply the Gitarama-Kigali road opted to go to Butare fearing to incur losses on the Kigali return route.

Talking to our reporter, most students condemned transporters and appealed to authorities to address the problem which has become common whenever students are beginning holidays.

It even leads to increase of taxi fare. By late evening a number of students could be spotted with their luggage loitering Gitarama streets.

"The lack of transport back home poses insecurity because most of us have to go and spend nights on the way as transporters don’t see the urgency of taking us to our destinations. They instead look at the possible losses,” Jacques Sindayigaya, one of the stranded students said.

"We are forced to spend more that expected and it is important that local authorities, Head teachers and taxi operators improvise ways through which we can be picked up from school instead of spending hours stranded in town,” Pascal Sibomana added.

Another student revealed that some school heads don’t allow students to spend an extra night at school awaiting transport, while other head teachers expel or suspend students who arrive late after opening of schools.

Officials of transport agencies in the area who talked to our reporter attributed the problem to the abrupt surge of passengers.

Atraco officials were seen hustling with taxi drivers and making numerous phone calls in a bid to improvise but in vain.

However, no cases of theft or pick pocketing were reported despite the hustle.

"The views of students are valid and the problem of taxis is a big issue in the country. Presently, the numbers of students and daily passengers has increased in relation to the number of taxis.

We are trying to mobilize independent taxi operators to look at the urgency of the problem instead of profits but this is not easy,” an official of Atraco transport agency said.

Meanwhile, in Kigali City, taxis plying the Kigali-Nyamata road were also scarce at Nyabugogo Taxi Park through the weekend.

The problem was attributed to increased passengers who were heading to Bugesera district for national ID photography. It led to increase of fare from the normal Frw600 to Frw1000.

Ends