Low uptake of speed governors as December deadline looms

Low demand for speed governors on the market has been reported despite the December 15 deadline for their installation in public service vehicles. The Government targets to have all public transport and commercial vehicles installed with the gadgets ahead of the deadline, but several transporters seem reluctant. A presidential decree was issued in February following a meeting by security organs to have vehicles equipped with the devices that would help drivers not to exceed 60 kmph for upcountry transport operators. Speaking to The New Times on Wednesday, John Mutisya, the director of the Rwakensa technologies, one of the licensed suppliers of speed governors, said the orders for the gadgets remain minimal. “Although we have the capacity to import tens of thousands of the devices in less than a month, we have only been fitting demo units for our clients and the traffic police department,” he said. Mutisya said less than 20 devices have been sold recently in a country that has more than 400 public transport and commercial vehicles. However, Valens Munyabugisha, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said operators won’t have any excuses for failing to meet the deadline. “The Police have been conducting several meetings with heads of all transport agencies and cooperatives. If the deadline is not met, motorists will face fines,” he said. Munyabagisha dismissed claims that there is a shortage of suppliers, saying the companies licensed to supply the devices were committed. Meanwhile, some motorists say the gadgets on the market are not compatible with brand new engines whose capacity exceeds 16 cylinders. They say their vehicles are at risk in case they fail to exhaust the average capacity of the engines. “We have also noticed some challenges on cars with a high engine speed; if they can’t use the in-built capacity of at least more than 80 kmph in a scope of more than three months, they are likely to get performance challenges,” said Medald Mugume, a mechanical engineer. According to Mutisya, a speed governor costs Rwf208,000 ($280) while fixing costs Rwf20,000. Edmond Kazungu, the proprietor of Imperial Garage and a car parts dealer, said, “We have so far managed to fix some few vehicles, although we are in negotiations with transport operators. We fixed them in vehicles for one company that plies the Kigali-Gisenyi route; the rest are yet to come.” According to statistics from Rwanda Utilities and Regulation Authority, the country has 64 licensed public transport companies, with a fleet of more 400 vehicles. Anitha Mukamusoni, the executive secretary of the Rwanda Federation of Transport Cooperatives (RFTC), said the company has ordered for the devices for its entire fleet, adding that the process is at the procurement stage. “The tender was issued but we hope that by the end of next week we shall have the devices delivered,” she said during a phone interview. Charles Ngarambe, the chief executive of the Kigali Bus Services (KBS), said they have already tested speed governors on some of their vehicles. We are planning to have speed governors installed before the deadline, he said. The devices were introduced as one of the measures to reduce road carnage, with a focus on transporters plying upcountry routes. Figures from the traffic police department indicate that 200 people died while 300 others were injured in road accidents between January and June this year. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Low uptake of speed governors as December deadline looms