The last six days have seen Kigali host two presidents and a prime minister. All the leaders jetted in with huge delegations. First was the President of Mozambique, then China and the Prime Minister of India. Some of the City roads were temporarily closed to ease the movement of the guests and the Police were giving regular updates and tips on how to beat the traffic and alternate routes. One section of public transporters has taken advantage – the taxi moto. The ease of bikes when it comes to maneuvering traffic and their performance on alternate routes have made them popular over the last few days. One taxi moto operator who spoke to The New Times at the Kacyiru bus terminal at about 10a.m., said his daily revenues are set to increase. “It is not a secret that I already pocketed Rwf5000. If it continues like this, I will go back home in the evening with a smile,” he said. “It reminds me of the money I bagged in the other [African Continental Free Trade Area] summit four months ago. I wish Rwanda hosted more visitors because we benefit from them,” he said. John Mugire, a passenger who usually uses the bus, told The New Times he only opts for a taxi moto whenever he is short of time. He was waiting for a bus at a Kacyiru stop, which was among those on routes closed in the morning. “Because there is a lot of traffic in the alternative roads, we are opting for taxi motos which are faster,” Mugire said. “We cannot trust when the bus is coming, because even those which are passing by here are full,” he added. The demand for the bikes saw some operators hike the fares. Etienne Mugirente, a taxi moto operator who is stationed near RDB said passengers should be ready to pay more since the alternate routes are further. “The only problem we have is that some passengers do not understand why the prices increased. If a passenger asks me to take him to Nyabugogo, I am supposed to cross by Nyarutarama, which is further meaning the cost of the ride increases,” Mugirente explained. He explained that the cost of a ride from Nyabugogo to Kimironko is about Rwf 1000 but with the traffic, the price has gone up to Rwf 1 200. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
