Motorists welcome new mobile inspection unit

Motorists in northern and part of Western provinces have welcomed the decisione by Rwanda National Police to decentralise vehicle inspection services through the introduction of a mobile inspection unit.The initiative, they say, is a relief from the long journeys they used to make to access the service at the national inspection centre in Kigali.The inspection is mandatory for all car owners, with a private vehicle required to be inspected of its mechanical condition at least once a year, while those in public transport are supposed to be inspected after every six months. Police unveiled the mobile inspection unit in Musanze District at the weekend to serve the region for a week.“I reached here at 7am and my car was inspected just after an hour. I used to burn fuel worth Rwf40,000 to and from Kigali. Besides, it would take me two days in Kigali because of the long queues,” said Gatanazi Rutebuka, from Rubavu District.Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, the National Police Traffic and Road Safety spokesperson, said vehicle owners had been complaining of long journeys and sometimes spent days in Kigali repairing their cars when Police recommended so. “Police has managed to facilitate motorists through bringing the service closer to them. Those in the vicinity whose cars are due for inspection should come and make use of the service before we move on to other parts of the country,” said Ndushabandi.The inspection is made mandatory as a measure to check mechanical faults blamed for many road accidents.Meanwhile, Ndushabandi said plans are underway to have two other permanent centres in the country and another mobile facility to make the service as accessible to the public as possible.