Traffic police chief on measures to curb accidents

Police say it will continue to do everything possible to reduce accidents on Rwandan roads. Bosco Asiimwe sat down with the Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety department, CP George Rumanzi, who spoke about ongoing efforts and plans to curb road accidents, among others. Give us an insight into the operations of the Traffic and Road Safety department? The Traffic and Road Safety (TRS) department carries out its operations in several areas; which include, educating the general public on road traffic laws, enforcement of road traffic rules and regulations, inspection of motor vehicles for their road worthiness and also directs road traffic to ensure smooth flow. We are also charged with testing aspiring drivers and issuance of driver’s licenses; we work closely with institutions responsible for engineering works to advise them on accident-prone areas so that sign-posts, zebra crossings, and humps are put in place. The department conducts investigations in cases of road accidents and compiles files that are forwarded to insurance companies for compensation of either life or property and to prosecution for criminal justice process, as well as provides escort services to groups traveling in big numbers. How effective is this department in ensuring road users comply with traffic laws? We believe compliance with road traffic laws goes hand-in-hand with effective enforcement mechanisms. We also believe more can be achieved, especially in preventing road accidents. How do you deal with cases of corruption, especially in situations where a traffic offender either bribes or attempts to bribe an officer? Rwanda in general and RNP in particular has a zero tolerance for corruption. Any officer engaged in corruption is, therefore, investigated, prosecuted and if the officer is found guilty, they are dismissed from the Force. We appeal to the general public to not offer bribes for services that they are entitled to. In a situation where someone is stopped by a traffic officer, it’s wise to pay the fines in case of an offense rather than committing another crime. By bribing an officer, you are committing a grave crime that you will be punished for, that’s why we advise the public that it’s wise and safer to pay the fines and always report any corruption case or an officer soliciting a bribe. The public can reach our department on +250788311110 or by email on commtrs@police.gov.rw , and they will get a prompt response. There are complaints that getting a driver’s license takes longer than it should. What is the process of acquiring a license, how long does it take, and why the complaints? Currently, after successfully passing all driving tests, paying the license fee and registering, the applicant should get their license in 14 days. However, once the new system that is being developed is put in place, we intend to reduce this timeframe to one day. With regard to complaints of delays, the problem is rooted in people who opt to use intermediaries to acquire permits. Intermediaries are often imposters and crooks, who swindle money from those who avoid going through the right channels to get the service they need. The public should desist from using these imposters. But rather use proper channels to get the driver’s license. Some other people make mistakes during registration which leads to mismatch in their identification, thus delaying the process. In case anyone has a problem with acquiring a license, they should call+250788311553 for an immediate response and follow-up. People with foreign driver’s license can qualify for a Rwandan license. How does that work? The point to note here is, changing a license is not automatic; it’s a gradual procedure. This is because there are some foreign licenses that are either forged, invalid or were illegally obtained; we verify a foreign license before embarking on changing it. Anyone who wishes to change their permits should come with a letter addressed to the Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety Department, along with supporting documents, such as a passport or an identification card and a photocopy of their driver’s license they want to change. Upon verification of the requirements, the applicant will be issued with a Rwandan driver’s license or subjected to another driving test. This process takes seven days. How does police ensure that vehicles are road worthy? We have three vehicle mechanical inspection centres, including a Mobile Test Lane operating six days in a week – from Monday to Saturday. These centres have the capacity to inspect at least 500 vehicles per day. We deploy the mobile inspection vehicle, on a scheduled programme, in Northern, Western and Southern provinces. This truck spends a week in each province providing vehicle inspection services. The inspection centre at Gishari Integrated Polytechnic (GIP) serves the Eastern Province. Commercial vehicles are required by law to go for inspection every after six months while private motor vehicles are required to do so once in twelve months. Owners are expected to ensure that their cars are road worthy and comply with environmental rules and regulations regarding air pollution. I must say, it’s in the interest of the vehicle owner to have their car inspected for road worthiness. What are the future plans of the Traffic and Road Safety department? We want to realise serious improvement in several areas by applying IT solutions. These areas include integrating high way code in school curricula and reducing significantly fatal accidents on roads which we believe should be achieved through implementation of the policy on use of speed governors by February 2016. We are also in the process of deploying CCTV cameras on roads to detect traffic violation. We also want to establish a fully fledged Integrated Driving Testing Centre, which will serve as a one-stop-centre that offers each and every service in the area of driving tests. We also want to roll out motor vehicle inspection services in all provinces, and we have already started to realise this through the Mobile Vehicle Inspection services which serve vehicle owners throughout the country. We are also in the process of computerising ‘Traffic Fines Ticketing System’ – in this case, police will no longer seize driver’s license and vehicle registration card. Also, in the future, we intend to roll out Integrated Intelligent Traffic Management Systems, which will include the use of surveillance cameras– both static and mobile in cities to manage traffic flow in a modern and efficient way. Other important elements that we want to adopt include an Automatic Number Plate Recognition System, for easy identification of vehicles and owners. Lastly, what is your message to road-users in Rwanda? Police wishes to inform road-users in Rwanda that everyone has a duty to respect road traffic rules to save life, mitigate impact of accidents and promote safe driving. Since development is intertwined with safety, we all need to work together to ensure that we reduce road accidents significantly. It is a fact that many accidents that happen are avoidable, they are due to reckless driving habits such as driving while calling or texting, driving carelessly and failing to inspect vehicles for mechanical problems. All the road users need to be more responsible.

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Traffic police chief on measures to curb accidents