A cheaper public transport system is what we need

Allow me to disagree with Mr. Gitura on the solution of congestion tax when there is no proper cheaper mass transport system and when the roads needed anyway to be upgraded.

Sunday, January 08, 2017

Editor, RE: "Roads expansion has begun, but beware of the equilibrium effect” (The New Times, January 7).

Allow me to disagree with Mr. Gitura on the solution of congestion tax when there is no proper cheaper mass transport system and when the roads needed anyway to be upgraded. The solution would be a clean, convenient and efficient public transport systems first, so that using the car in the city becomes a luxury that needs to be taxed.

And one way of having this is:

1. Upgrade the main roads to turn them into 4 lanes (2 lanes for each direction);

2. Dedicate portions of the roads for public transport buses;

3. Upgrade the transport buses and communication systems so that they are really convenient (representative), predictable and large. In my view, Rwanda is on track in this starting with 1. Gill