The City of Kigali will extend its dedicated bus lanes from short queue sections near junctions to continuous lanes, in a move aimed at speeding up public transport across the capital.

The rollout, set to begin on Friday, April 24, builds on ongoing reforms, including the transfer of city bus operations to state-owned Ecofleet Solutions. The company has introduced fixed departure schedules, replacing the long-standing practice of buses waiting to fill up before setting off.

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Speaking to The New Times, Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, Director General in charge of Communication and Community Education at the City of Kigali, said the initial phase focused on giving buses priority access near junctions and roundabouts.

"Short sections of roads near junctions were established to let buses reach intersections and move first. Even at roundabouts, traffic lights give them priority over other vehicles,” she said.

The next phase expands that approach.

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"We are now looking at giving buses not only priority near junctions, but also continuous dedicated lanes along sections of the road,” Ntirenganya added.

Four key corridors will be introduced in the first phase, operating during peak hours—6am to 7am and 5pm to 9pm. During these periods, the lanes will be reserved for high-occupancy vehicles carrying at least eight passengers, as well as other priority vehicles.

The corridors include the Downtown–Payage–Kanogo–Rwandex–Sonatube–Giporoso (Ku Cya Mitsingi) route, Sonatube–Kicukiro Centre–Nyanza Bus Park, Downtown–Former 1930 Prison–Nyabugogo Bus Park, and Downtown–Gloria Hotel–City Plaza.

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Under the new arrangement, buses will depart every five minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak periods.

Rwanda National Police spokesperson ACP Boniface Rutikanga said road users are gradually adapting to the changes.

"Motorists are increasingly understanding the system. When traffic lights turn in the direction buses are heading, they are given the right of way first to help reduce congestion,” he said.

He added that police will continue supporting motorists during the transition.

"Initial deployments will focus on familiarising road users with the changes. The system will take some time to fully take shape.”