Editor, I think authorities should advise public transport companies to be more thorough while recruiting drivers for passenger service vehicles. I have noticed that most of the drivers I’ve come across are very young – actually some of them are teenagers – which explains the irresponsibility with which some of these drivers go about their work. There are some who even take drugs. For effectiveness, companies should be held liable in case they are found to have recruited such a person (maybe because the bosses and the driver are related) regardless of their merits to do the job. The Government of Rwanda should also check and analyse the terms under which these drivers work because some of the conditions oblige the former to overwork, over-speed and ultimately break the rules. I will give an example of a fatal accident that took place last week in Kicukiro District when two buses belonging to the same company were competing for passengers and ended up crushing a passerby. The passerby died instantly. Some bus owners, because they want to make a killing, and impose unbearable conditions on their drivers; it is some of these conditions that contribute to speeding and other traffic violations. Those that operate upcountry routes, some are obliged to make a certain number of trips a day, which leads to speeding. I appeal to responsible institutions to examine the conditions under which bus drivers operate and take appropriate action. Mupenzi, Rwanda Reaction to the story, “Kagame to officials: End human trafficking, accidents” (The New Times, August 19)
