In September 2024, the City of Kigali announced that it was set to pilot Dedicated Bus Lanes (DBL) within the next six months. Four months later, the city is preparing a lane exclusively for buses. Dedicated bus lanes are designed to separate buses from general traffic, allowing them to bypass congestion and move more freely through the city. ALSO READ: Is it possible to unlock Kigali's peak-hour jam? The initiative is part of a broader government strategy to reduce traffic congestion by phasing out the use of private cars on certain roads in Kigali, encouraging increased use of public transport. The initial pilot will cover two lanes of the Central Business District-Rwandex-Sonatubes-Giporoso road. One of the key characteristics of this road is that it has four lanes, which makes it easy to dedicate two to buses that are carrying passengers in peak hours, while the remaining two are used by private cars. In addition, it is a road that has high commutability demand. ALSO READ: Dedicated bus lanes: Why CBD-Sonatubes-Giporoso road was selected City Spokesperson Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, on January 15, explained to The New Times how Kigali's Dedicated Bus Lanes will look and operate. Signposts and road markings “DBLs will be characterized by unique signposts and road markings, indicating where buses have dedicated lanes during specific days and hours,” she explained. She noted that this will allow buses to use dedicated lanes exclusively, enabling commuters to reach their destinations quickly and efficiently. Operating schedules She said that the dedicated bus lanes will be in use from Monday to Friday during morning and evening peak hours. ALSO READ: Kigali to pilot dedicated bus lanes in six months Preparatory work underway Preparations for the pilot of the Dedicated Bus Lanes (DBL) have started with the Gereza (former 1930 prison)-Downtown Bus Park-City Centre Roundabout road. “We have prepared part of this road to be dedicated to buses once the pilot starts. We marked this section with the ‘ONLY BUS’ signpost to guide commuters,” Ntirenganya explained. ALSO READ: The rigours of public transport in Kigali She said that this road has been expanded and painted to indicate the dedicated bus lane. “We are now in the process of installing signposts to guide passengers and inform them about the dedicated bus lane,” she added. Some dedicated bus lanes to operate all hours On the Gereza (former 1930 prison)-City Centre Roundabout road, as well as the Downtown-Rubangura section, the dedicated bus lanes are expected to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she explained. ALSO READ: What is the best way to address Kigali’s public transport challenges? DBLs to also allow 'unrestricted vehicles’ The official stated that, in addition to public buses, the dedicated bus lanes will also allow unrestricted vehicles. These unrestricted vehicles include police vehicles, firefighting vehicles, and ambulances, among others. Traffic lights She said that traffic lights and streetlights on the dedicated bus lanes will be improved to enhance traffic flow. In 2023, Rwanda and Japan signed a grant agreement worth $14.6 million to establish a new transport control system aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving mobility in Kigali. Dubbed “Intelligent Transport System”, the project consists of developing a traffic control system and signal control system together with intersection improvements. In addition to the Dedicated Bus Lane (DBL) system that will occupy two lanes of the CBD-Sonatubes-Giporoso road during peak hours (early morning and evening), this technology will allow the monitoring and real-time control of traffic flow across different parts of Kigali. ALSO READ: More four-lane roads, 43 flyovers planned for Kigali The government plans to upgrade Chez Lando and Gishushu in Gasabo District, and Sonatubes in Kicukiro District road junctions in the City of Kigali starting from July 2025 so as to ease urban transport, according to the Minister of Infrastructure, Jimmy Gasore. The same project will also avail designated bus lanes, cyclist lanes among others. On December 4, 2024, AfDB Group announced that its Board of Directors approved a loan of $100 million (approx. Rwf140billion) to Rwanda for the implementation of Kigali Urban Transport Improvement (KUTI) project.
