Rwanda is planning to establish a new facility to expand access to automobile inspection services, particularly vehicle emission testing, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure. During a demonstration of emission testing held on Saturday, November 1, at the Remera Automobile Inspection Centre, the Minister of State for Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, said that plans are underway to expand infrastructure for emission testing. ALSO READ: Rwanda to start testing motorcycle emissions, enhance compliance “There are plans. This centre [Remera Automobile Inspection Centre] is going to remain, but the Police is building a new facility in Ndera [in Gasabo District], a bigger one, which will be able to accommodate even more vehicles,” said Uwihanganye, who along with other government officials, had had their car tested for emissions on Saturday. The minister added that future plans include facilities for motorcycles and other vehicle types, as well as enhancing the capacity of roadworthiness centres across the country. ALSO READ: AI-powered tech to enhance vehicle emissions testing in Rwanda “In the future, some other types of vehicles, motorcycles and others, but also some other centres of roadworthiness across the country, in the south, in the north, will gradually have the capacity of being able to test.” ”Plans are there, but we’re starting with what we have now, and we have enough room for it to expand,” he said. He explained that the ongoing inspection process has proved to be efficient and user-friendly. “It was pretty fast and efficient and seamless. It’s great that both mechanical inspection and emissions testing are done at the same time. It’s done seamlessly all at once,” he said. ALSO READ: Police move to curb vehicle gas emissions Uwihanganye added that officials taking part in the testing is both a responsibility and a contribution to cleaner air across the country. “I feel good because it’s part of my contribution to clean air in Kigali and clean air all over the country,” he said, encouraging motorists to combine their roadworthiness and emission tests. “It’s good to have a car, it gives some comfort and convenience, but you also need to take good care of it. When you take good care of your car, it contributes to cleaner emissions, and cleaner emissions have an impact on each and every one of us.” ACP Boniface Rutikanga, the spokesperson of Rwanda National Police, said the integration of both mechanical and emission testing has been fully organised to make the process more convenient for motorists. “The arrangements have been made to make sure that the person coming here with the vehicle gets both tests at the same time without coming back again,” he said. He explained that the system will operate through Irembo, allowing both tests to be booked and conducted together. “This issue will start with Irembo, where we will do both mechanical testing and emission testing. Now, the most important information again for the public to know today is that whoever has a valid automobile inspection certificate today, when it is recovered, will be encouraged to look for both mechanical and emission at the same time,” Rutikanga said. He noted that the main objective is to make the process more efficient for vehicle owners. Emma Claudine Ntirenganya, the Director General in charge of Communication and Community Education in the City of Kigali, said that since Kigali has the highest concentration of vehicles in the country, there is an even greater need for regular emission testing. She urged motorists to carry out both the general mechanical inspection and the emission test at the same time to save time and prevent unnecessary return visits. “Kigali hosts the largest number of vehicles, which means the demand for inspections is high. To save time, we encourage drivers to do the emission test together with the general inspection, so they don’t have to come back again,” she said. Ntirenganya added that this approach would not only make inspections more efficient but also help protect the city’s air quality. “We understand that residents of Kigali have busy schedules, but combining the two tests helps you manage your time better and keeps our city cleaner, with less air pollution,” she said.
