Editor, RE: “KVCS should stop victimising motorists” (The New Times, January 12). You are not alone; any responsible citizen wants to pay for service rendered. If Rwanda Revenue Authority has done its best to ease payment modalities so much that you can even pay taxes using a mobile phone, why can’t we pay our parking tickets online? KVCS, please style up! John **************** KVCS is one of those organisations that feed the misconception by certain NGOs and foreigners conclude that we have an oppressive government. Take this scenario: I am a law-abiding citizen and my record of paying parking tickets can attest to this. In the last six months residing and driving in the City of Kigali, I am accused of not paying parking of Rwf100. This is surely a sign of compliance, so being fined Rwf10, 000, or the equivalent of 1,000 per cent, is quite excessive and actually goes against the basic legal principle of fairness. Interestingly, I once went to the KVCS offices in Remera to voluntarily pay parking fees because I had found tickets on my car but couldn’t trace anyone to pay. When I got there, I was told the information was already in the system and so I must pay the Rwf200, plus a fine of Rwf10, 000. The office attendant was very rude to me and so I simply left, waiting for when the “almighty” KVCS will engage the law enforcers to stop me and extort the money from me. If I were the boss of KVCS, I would want things to remain as they are; I wouldn’t deploy technology, as suggested earlier, to make it convenient for Kigali motorists to pay. After all, when my cash-flows are down, I just engage Traffic Police, victimise Kigali motorists and voila my bank balance is increased. To the City of Kigali officials, do something to STOP this victimisation. Bosco
