Following the announcement by City of Kigali that it is set to pilot the Dedicated Bus Lane (DBL) system during peak hours, experts have weighed in on what the development means for public transport. Under the new initiative, the CBD-Kanogo-Rwandex-Sonatubes-Giporoso road will be piloted as a dedicated bus lane, while other road networks are expected to follow in the near future. "Under NST1 (National Strategy for Transformation), we have 22km of dedicated bus lines but this could increase,” City of Kigali mayor Pudence Rubingisa told The New Times.
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With this, it is expected that the average waiting time for buses during peak hours will reduce from 30 to 15 minutes.
Commenting about Kigali’s new Dedicated Bus Lanes (DBL), Alphonse Nkurunziza, a senior lecturer of transport planning, engineering and urban structure at the University of Rwanda, said such is a key strategy for improving the city’s public transport system "because the buses will move on schedule” and won’t be delayed by traffic jam.
He stressed the importance of making public transport seamless because the larger part of the population depends on it.
"Imagine a bus carrying more than 60 people stuck in traffic yet those people are going to work. That is not something good for the economy. People need to reach their workplaces in time so that they can work,” he noted.
He added that such measures can also lessen the carbon emissions in the city because people with private cars can start leaving them at home to use public ones if public transport becomes better.
"If the buses are faster, more people will want to travel by them,” he said.
Chris Kost, a public transport expert working with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy as its program director for Africa, noted that as a short-term measure, the implementation of the DBLs in Kigali has the potential to speed up journeys and improve reliability for public transport passengers.
However, he pointed out that while dedicated bus lanes are a good first step, "it is crucial for the city to move towards implementing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system without further delay.”
The BRT is a high-capacity public transport service that generally runs on DBLs and corridors to avoid delays that typically slow regular bus services. Although the characteristics of each system may vary, the BRT allows buses to zoom past traffic and offer fast and predictable journey times.
Under the system, buses only stop at designated stations where passengers typically prepay the fare before boarding, which streamlines and speeds up operations.
"BRT provides a higher level of service and capacity compared to traditional bus services, offering a viable alternative to private cars and motos. BRT can also anchor compact city development, helping to prevent urban sprawl,” Kost said.
"It is essential that any grade separators or road upgrades along planned BRT corridors include provision for BRT in order to avoid the need for costly retrofits in the future. In addition, any new buses should have doors on both sides to enable a seamless transition to BRT without the need to procure a new fleet,” he added.
Mid this year, officials at the infrastructure ministry said Kigali will get 100 new buses by the end of December 2023. These are part of the 305 buses pledged by the government to alleviate fleet shortages.
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The government is also working with investors to bring in public buses. Kost noted that the city needs a network of publicly owned depots to facilitate maintenance activities and overnight charging of electric buses.
Kost also commented on the Kigali Transport Plan, noting that the city should avoid using limited financial resources to build flyovers and other vehicle priority measures, but should prioritise the goal of implementing a comprehensive BRT system paired with high-quality walking and cycling routes to improve last-mile access.
More about Kigali’s DBLs
According to officials, to make use of the dedicated lanes, there is also a need for 500 buses in the capital, each carrying 39 to 70 passengers.
As part of the new initiative, Nyabugogo bus terminal is set to be upgraded. Studies on upgrading the Nyabugogo bus terminal resumed under the 2023/24 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the City of Kigali has encouraged the public to use alternative roads that were recently completed, especially in the morning and evening hours.
The alternative roads, according to Merard Mpabwanamaguru, City of Kigali's vice-mayor in charge of urbanisation and infrastructure, include Kimicanga-Kacyiru-Golf course-Nyarutarama.
"These roads can help people from areas of Kibagabaga, Kimironko and Remera to go to the city centre without using main roads,” he said.
More of such roads include one behind the former Sports View Hotel opposite Amahoro Stadium to Kagara, Baho Hospital to Nyarutarama, as well as one from Kabeza, Mu Itunda to Busanza.