Kigali, Singapore in deal to improve public transport

The City of Kigali has entered an agreement with the Land Transport Academy (LTA), through Singapore’s Ministry of Transport, to develop an integrated public transport system with the city.The agreement was reached following a three-day workshop for stakeholders in the local transport sector and City of Kigali hosted by LTA. The Vice- Mayor of Kigali City, Alphonse Nizeyemana, represented Kigali while Mohinder Singh signed on behalf of LTA during an event organised by Rwanda’s High Commission in Singapore.“Nizeyemana noted that given the fast growing population of Kigali City and the rapid economic development in Rwanda, it was inevitable to start planning and putting in place an integrated transport mechanism that would not only facilitate smooth transportation of people and goods within the city, but also have an effective infrastructure support,” reads part of a statement from the High Commission. Singapore, which is around the size of Kigali City, has one of the best public transport networks in the world, which accommodates close to six million public transport trips daily without any major hindrances. The two signatories agreed to strengthen ties in the development of public transport in Kigali through capacity building, technical support and consultancy services as well as more exchanges of experiences.Recently the state minister in charge of transport, Dr Alexis Nzahabwanimana, said that a national transport policy to improve and facilitate the accessibility of the most isolated corners was in the pipeline.According to Nzahabwanimana, roads’ interconnectivity is among the priority issues to be looked into and that the ministry has allocated Rwf 296 million to build a sustainable transport system and Rwf120 million to facilitate investors in the sector.In a bid to ease public transport within the City, transport operators were recently directed to operate on specific routes. This followed public outcry over shortage of transport in the city during peak hours.To mitigate the shortage, Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority, (RURA) in collaboration with city authorities, directed transport agencies to operate on given routes focusing on those that have been facing challenges of many commuters.RURA said operating on specialised routes will help to streamline the industry.Several Kigali City traders have been closing shop early in the evening even when they expected more customers in a rush to board taxis.

National

Kigali, Singapore in deal to improve public transport