Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA), in partnership with schools, has devised new mechanisms to enhance safety of students who travel on school buses.

Emmanuel Asaba Katabarwa, director of road transport at RURA, said the agency is considering adopting technology that monitors drivers.

"We started recording all information about drivers. We need smart cards that will help us gather all information related to transport. The card will show all activities conducted by the driver while on the road. We are also urging the companies that transport students to employ professional drivers,” Katabarwa told The New Times last week.

Regular inspection should be carried out to prevent accidents, he added.

The development follows recent accidents involving a school bus carrying pupils of Kigali Parents School and another a school driver who was jailed for drunk-driving.

Since January, two companies, Student Safety Bus and Volcano, started transporting children from home to school and vice versa.

Parents signed contracts with transport companies without the involvement of schools.

Charles Mutazihana, the headmaster of Kigali Parents School, said his school will henceforth partner with parents to sign contracts with transport companies.

In a recent interview, Police spokesperson Celestin Twahirwa said Police discovered that parents sign contracts with transport companies without the involvement of schools.

"This time, we want schools to be involved and assume the oversight responsibility in the contracts signed between the parties to help ensure maximum safety of the students.”he said.

Mutazihana said his school is organising a meeting with parents and transport companies to discuss the matter.

"Parents were fully incharge but now we need to work closely. The school is organising a meeting with parents to see how schools can participate in these transport arrangements,”he said.

Theophile Gashongore, the head of Student Safety Bus that has 14 buses serving students at two schools (La Colombiere and Kigali Parents School), said every bus has a guardian to look after children and monitor the driver’s conduct.

"Transporting pupils is different from transporting adult passengers. That’s why we always ask drivers to be careful. Sometimes pupils stand in the vehicles and stick heads outside,”he said.

He added that indisciplined drivers are penalised by the company.

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