We have acquired new buses but…

Editor, I read in this newspaper on Wednesday that the private companies that were contracted to handle transport in the City of Kigali had imported new buses that will in addition to the existing ones, ease on the problem of transport within the capital. This is good news. However, as we address the issue of shortage of buses, let authorities also look into the issue of hygiene because what many of us who have been using the big buses operated by Kigali Bus Service have hard to endure unbearable discomfort, especially in the evenings. Here you have a bus that has no limit on the number of passengers who can board and with majority standing, and some of the passengers have poor hygiene. I do not remember how many times I have strained to breathe while on the bus because I found myself submerged between two passengers who looked like they have not taken a shower in as many days. When these buses had just been introduced, they were well aerated but today they are in a deplorable state as the smell when mixed with the heat in side becomes a disaster, to say the least. Some city dwellers have actually resorted to walking home every day in the evening because of the inconvenience on the buses. I totally appreciate the innovation by the bus companies especially installing wifi that is accessed free of charge while on the bus but I believe given a choice, I would take a bus with aeration and less congested without the Wifi instead of one with the latter but stinking and congested. Our very capable regulators should come to our rescue and I believe something can be done; the discipline with which passengers at the bus stops as they wait for their turn to get on the bus is something to attest that orderliness within the sector is not something that is elusive. P. Kabeera, Rwanda

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We have acquired new buses but…