For Pascal Rukundo, a bicycle is more than just a means of transport—it’s his livelihood and his family’s source of sustenance. The rider pedals along the streets of Kigali to earn a living from his two-wheeled, non-motorised vehicle.

"The bicycle provides for many people,” says Rukundo, a bicycle taxi rider from Gatsata in Gasabo District. "It helps you feed your family and keeps you from wrongdoing. It supports many young people—more than 7,200 in Kigali alone,” he estimates.

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Yet, while his bicycle sustains him, it doesn’t protect him or the thousands of riders like him when it comes to accident compensation, as they operate without insurance coverage.

Each day, Rukundo worries about being hit by motorised or engine-powered vehicles like a car or motorcycle on Kigali’s busy roads.

When that happens, there’s no compensation, no legal protection or insurance.

"We wish there was bicycle insurance,” says Rukundo, who represents the Korawigire cooperative of bicycle taxi riders in Gatsata. "Every day, we get knocked by vehicles, but we have nowhere to ask for help or justice.”

A growing but unprotected workforce

In Rwanda, only motorised vehicles—including cars and motorcycles are covered by insurance policies. Bicycles, despite being one of the country’s widely used forms of transport (in rural areas), remain outside the insurance framework.

Senator Amandin Rugira, Deputy Chairperson of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security, recently raised the issue during a session with the Rwanda Insurers Association (ASSAR) on October 31.

The session was meant to evaluate measures to reduce road accidents and enhance safety.

Rugira said that bicycles are becoming increasingly common, especially in flat areas like Eastern Province.

"For instance, in Rwamagana, the number of bicycles exceeds that of motorcycles,” Rugira said. "They operate on main asphalt roads, yet there’s no licence requirement, no insurance, no helmets. Even children take bicycles and ride without knowing traffic rules. How can we regulate this growing form of transport?”

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The call for feasible bicycle insurance

Senator Bibiaye Mbaye Gahamanyi voiced the same concern, underscoring that bicycles remain a vital means of transport especially in rural areas.

"We cannot disregard bicycles—they are how people take their produce to the market. There are many. Is there any way insurance companies can come in, so at least bicycle users have protection?” she asked insurers.

Marc Rugenera, CEO of Radiant Insurance Company, acknowledged the senators’ concerns but described bicycle insurance as a complex challenge.

"Saying that a solution will be found overnight is not easy,” Rugenera said. He noted that while insurance for bicycle taxis would protect passengers’ lives, affordability remains a key question.

"When you look at the income riders get from transporting people or goods, can they really afford insurance premiums that cover accident compensation?” he asked.

Still, Rugenera did not rule out the idea entirely, suggesting that a solution could be found — perhaps through a low-cost insurance model that aligns with the country’s legal framework and takes into account the riders’ modest incomes and ability to pay premiums.

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For motorcycles, which are among the smallest motorised vehicles used in Rwanda, insurance premiums stand at Rwf180,000 per year, equivalent to Rf500 per day – when a bicycle is relatively new, meaning less than five years old from the date of manufacture.

Bicycle taxi riders charge different fares depending on factors including the distance travelled, with most short trips costing around Rwf200. Longer journeys, which can cost more than Rwf500, are currently less common. Still, because bicycles are non-motorised means of transport, riders take relatively longer to complete trips, which limits their ability to earn as much income as operators of motorised vehicles.

For riders like Rukundo, every pedal stroke is a balance between opportunity and danger.

While bicycle taxis help the movement of relatively low-income earners and their goods, without insurance or formal protection, the people who power this grassroots transport economy remain exposed—hoping that one day, they will not only provide for their families with their humble bicycles but also get the needed protection.

During a session with the Senate's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security last month, Fulgence Dusabimana, the Vice Mayor in charge of Urbanisation and Infrastructure in the City of Kigali, said that insurance policies are determined by the level of risk associated with the item or activity being insured.

"When the risk is high, the policy may exist, but the premiums charged to insure the activity can be even higher than its actual value,” he said, citing the example of some bicycles valued at around Rwf120,000.

"This is the reality,” he added, "but it is an issue that can remain on the table, because in this country we believe there are various solutions to different problems — and we have achieved a lot already.”