Eastern Province up for mobile vehicle inspection

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) has extended its mobile motor vehicle inspection unit to Eastern Province to help reduce costs incurred by vehicle owners.The provincial control centre in Kayonza District was welcomed by vehicle owners and motorists who previously had to travel to Kigali for similar services.Egide Kagabo, a businessman in Ngoma District, said apart from relieving motorists the burden of spending time and money, the service would increase compliance.“Drivers cheat us, they tell us to spend a lot of money that only end up in their pockets. In fact, sometimes we are conned and given fake papers. This time we shall do it ourselves,” he said.“This is the moment of reckoning for vehicle owners. What the police machine checks cannot be examined by our local mechanics. So, we can’t take the chance lying down.” Omar Kayumba, a driver in Rwamagana, said Police should be vigilant because many rural vehicles are always in dangerous mechanical conditions. “Drivers hide and dodge in rural roads where they have caused many accidents,” he said.Senior Superintendant of Police B. Nsengiyumva, a police technician overseeing the exercise in the province, urged vehicle owners to respond positively to the exercise.“We don’t see as many vehicles as we expected here. It seems many are still shying away for reasons only known to them. Let all non-certified vehicles be brought before we move to another province,” he said.The mobile vehicle inspection service will be in the province for two weeks. Previously, Police had only one inspection centre, based in Remera, Gasabo Disitct in the City of Kigali. It served the whole country. This meant vehicle owners and other motorists had to travel to Remera for the service. The burden ended with RNP’s procurement of the mobile vehicle inspection unit early this year.