Editor, RE: “Protecting children is a collective responsibility, says Mayor Mukaruriza” (The New Times, June 13). Speaking of protection of the lives of children and pedestrians at zebra-crossings, I have always wondered why some of the drivers in Rwanda have a haughty sense of entitlement that whenever people stand by a zebra-crossing, they wouldn’t stop to let you pass, and if you as a pedestrian dare stepping on the tarmac, they would loudly honk at you. I don’t comprehend where this sense of entitlement stems from (someone please help me understand that) but I see three main reasons: 1. Motorists feel superior in all sense to the pedestrian (including children), thus think that this nullifies or replaces whatever (traffic) laws they are required to respect. 2. Since owning, driving a car still carries a status symbol in many developing countries, the people with cars barely walk as pedestrians (they even drive for just distance of 100m), thus consider a pedestrian a lower-class citizen. 3. This indiscipline on our roads is tolerated, even if the laws are clear about it. Whatever the reasons, this is not only endangering children and other pedestrians’ lives but also creates an unpleasant situation that does not fit well with all the achievements our beautiful country has made over the years, including nice sidewalks, well-paved, clean roads. My suggestion: strictly enforced traffic rules. Gill
