Uncomfortable passenger taxis

Philbert Twagira, is very angry about the twegerane (21-seater mini-passenger vans). They are readily available for use by the general public. They never leave on time and everyone is at least half an hour early to their destination if they want to make it on time. These taxis operate between taxi parks, but stop frequently en route to pick up and off-load passengers who wait for them to fill before departing. The vehicles are usually Toyota minibuses owned by private individuals who employ a driver (chauffeur) and a conductor (convoyeur) to operate and maintain the vehicle on a day-to-day basis. No tickets are issued in these taxis. “These taxis are slow, uncomfortable and unreliable; they are so crowded for comfort,” Twagira complains. Twagira’s experience begins at Remera Taxi Park. He says the taxi conductor is very busy guys “At each stop; he’s jumping out of the taxi, dealing with payment, while he also loads and offloads cargo doors,” he says. They cost about Rwf190 per route—the cheapest transport fare within Kigali city. This explains why several passengers use them. Rebecca Mukarugomwa, second-year Accounting and Finance student at UNILAK was particularly concerned when a student reported that problems with these twegerane’s had led him to cancel his lectures. “How about advocating for bye-bye twegerane in favor of better buses that are comfortable,” she said “It is understandable if the public appeals to the authorities to oppose the presence of such taxis,” she adds. Today the comforts of passenger taxis are a priority in Rwanda. This explains the move to fill Rwanda’s roads with new mini-buses. ntagu2005@yahoo.com