Vox-pop:Thoughts on the taxi-moto ‘smart cover’

“The money charged is not a problem. The authorities who enforced the action have not sensitized the dilemma that would come as a result of not using the smart cover.”Damascene Habumugisha.“The nature of the smart cover can’t prevent a disease should it be present. They should think about how they can change the design to suite its purpose.”Vedaste Niyosaba.“I have been in this business for seven years and there was never a complaint about diseases from the helmet. And even if they were, smart covers are more of a business and not out to save lives.” Slatiel Ngamije.“What kind of diseases do the authorities think they are preventing? We are in town. Do people in the villages also use these things? It’s just business, nothing else” Albert Ntambara.“Personally I think the cost of the smart cover should be reduced to RWF 5 only because selling it at RWF 40 is a temptation to use one smart cover multiple times.”Erneste Niyosenga. “I wonder what right Traffic Police have to charge us because we don’t have the smart cover as if it’s written any where the law. If they want people to use them they should be put in shops so that people buy them when they want but not as a must.” Jean Bosco Rutayoberana.“11 years in the business now and I have never had any skin problem. Why should there be a problem now? The cover is costly compared to people who benefit from the income generated from one moto.”Eliab Nyandwi“I like them because after using a moto, your hair stays looking good which is not the case when you don’t use one. You are forced to comb your hair in public because you want to look smart.”Dalilah Lee Smith