Following the enforcement of new national Covid-19 guidelines on Monday, June 14, which saw curfew time brought forward by an hour and public transport operators required not to exceed half the passenger capacity, public transport has become a nightmare for many in the City of Kigali.

And, now the public transport regulator is calling on the public to be more understanding and patient.

Anthony Kulamba, General Manager, Transport Regulation, at the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), urged users of public transport to be cooperative and compliant with existing Covid-19 measures.

"We appeal for cooperation because these are unusual times that require people to understand,” he said, adding that people should avoid unnecessary movements.

Long queues of frustrated passengers both in bus parks and at bus stops around the city during peak hours have been common over the last two days, leaving many, including students and workers, stranded for hours.

Commuters at a bus stop in Nyarugunga-Kanombe wait for buses in the morning of June 15. Photo: Dan Nsengiyumva.

Many reported spending much more time waiting for a bus than previously.

That was the case at the bus park in Downtown Kigali on Monday evening as a mad rush of thousands of travellers sought to leave the city centre and head to their suburban neighbourhoods ahead of the curfew, which starts at 9 p.m.

‘Two hours and counting’

"We have been here for almost two hours and counting,” said one passenger at around 6:30 p.m., when The New Times asked her what time they had arrived at the park.

She was waiting in a long queue that zigzagged sharply to form four parallel lines as demand for public transport peaked.

Tired, some passengers would sit on the pavement, resigned.

Many observed no social distancing.

"Fifty per cent of bus capacity means 35 people in low-floor bus Zonda,” said Marcellin Muhirwa, a bus driver who operates the Nyanza-Kicukiro-Downtown route. "Yet, traffic jams are still the same. That means that passengers will need to be really patient.”

One by one, buses were arriving in their designated spaces, prompting jostling and shoving as passengers competed for the limited seats. There were the green-jacket youth volunteers and security personnel to help enforce Covid guidelines but they were clearly being overwhelmed by the crowds of impatient passengers.

Similar scenes have been witnessed in other bus parks around the city too.

"A journey that normally takes me 30 minutes, from Kimironko-Nyanza, is now about an hour and a half,” said Benigne Mwiza, a resident of Gatenga Sector in Kicukiro District, who works in the Gishushu area, Gasabo District.

Student experience

Raissa Uwera, a student at Ecole Secondaire Saint Joseph le Travailleur in Nyarugenge District, told The New Times it is hard for students who normally use public buses to get to school on time nowadays. "There was always shortage during morning hours and in the evening but it is now worse, taxi-motos also have a habit of taking advance of the situation and charge more.”

Another frequent user of public transport, Alex Ntwari, from Niboye, Kicukiro District, said: "It is hard to wait at a bus stop and you get a bus, you have to be so lucky, otherwise they come full.”

In most cases, priority is given to students both in morning and evening hours.

The people whom this reporter spoke to cited Zindiro-Kimironko, Nzove-Rutonde-Nyabugogo, Nyarugunga/Kanombe-Remera, and Kabeza-Remera are among the most affected routes.

When The New Times visited Nyarugunga at around 7:30 a.m., on Tuesday, there were about 80 passengers waiting at a bus stop near the Rwanda Military Hospital. A group of youth volunteers helped to determine who and how many people entered any bus that arrived, with some seats reserved for passengers waiting ahead.

RURA warning

Kulamba warned taxi-motos against taking advantage of passengers in the hours leading up to curfew time or the morning rush hours by charging unreasonably high fares, saying they risked tough penalties.

He also cautioned bus operators who serve upcountry routes against the habit of unilaterally increasing fare. "People need to be ethical and not take advantage of others because of the times we are in.

On the issue of traffic, Kulamba said they are considering coming up with dedicated bus lanes to reduce delays for those commuting on public transport.

He also said that students as well as vulnerable travellers like the elderly and the sick will continue to be priority.