Call for respect of traffic rules ahead of school holidays

The Rwanda National Police (RNP)’s department of traffic and road safety has reminded public transporters to observe road safety standards, especially during the ferrying of students who next week will start their end of year holidays. The commissioner for the traffic department, Commissioner of Police George Rumanzi, noted that traffic accidents tend to increase at the beginning and end of school holidays, owing to the quest by transporters to cash in on the increased commuters. “Measures have been undertaken to oversee safe movements of vehicles transporting students back home and the highway traffic police team has also made it their priority to ensure smooth traffic-flow while taking punitive measures against offenders,” CP Rumanzi said. Schools are scheduled to break off between November 1 and 3, but this will be done in shifts according to regions, as per the instructions by the Ministry of Education. Schools in the City of Kigali, Huye, Nyanza, Muhanga and Kamonyi in the Southern Province, and those from Rusizi and Nyamasheke in the Western will break off on November 1. Schools in other districts in the Southern and Western provinces will close on November 2, while those in the Eastern and Northern provinces will close on November 3. “This is a national programme that requires due attention from all stakeholders including transporters, schools, parents and the police to ensure that all safety measures are undertaken and observed,’’ he noted. He observed that transporters tend to drive on high speed to scramble for passengers and earn more money by making as many shifts as possible, which increases risk of accidents. He also warned against overloading and called for respect of insurance policy, which specifies the maximum number of people to transport at a time. “We have also witnessed inappropriate behavior of some drivers who take-off as passengers try to enter or get off the car, injuring them in the process, which should stop.” CP Rumanzi also appealed to the management of public transport companies to own the process and ensure the sobriety of their drivers. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Call for respect of traffic rules ahead of school holidays