Public transport users up by 30,000 in less than a month

The number of people using public transport in Kigali has increased by 30,000 since the introduction of dedicated bus lanes in late April, according to city officials. The city expanded dedicated bus lanes from short queue sections near junctions to continuous lanes, in a move aimed at improving the reliability of public transport. ALSO READ: Expanded bus lanes cut commute times, ease congestion Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, the Director General in charge of Communication and Community Education at the City of Kigali, told The New Times that new reforms are already easing traffic congestion, with fewer private vehicles seen on the roads. The number of people using buses on work days increased from 200,000 to nearly 230,000, Ntirenganya said. Naturally, some of the additional bus users are people who previously used private cars, although some had also been using taxi motorcycles. The extended bus lanes now cover major corridors: Downtown-Payage-Kanogo-Rwandex-Sonatube-Giporoso-Ku cya Mitsingi; Sonatube-Kicukiro Centre-Nyanza Bus Park; Downtown-former 1930 Prison-Nyabugogo Bus Park; and Downtown-Gloria Hotel-City Plaza. The reforms followed other changes in the sector, including the transfer of management of bus operations to state-owned company Ecofleet Solutions. The company introduced fixed departure schedules, replacing the long-standing practice where buses waited to fill up before departure. ALSO READ: Kigali rolls out extended bus lanes on four routes Ntirenganya said that the time buses spend on the road on major routes has reduced significantly. According to the city, the journey from Nyabugogo to Nyanza, Kicukiro has dropped from over one hour to about 30 minutes. The Downtown-Kabuga route has seen travel time reduced from nearly two hours to just one hour. ALSO READ: Emergency, high-occupancy vehicles allowed to use bus lanes More buses are being deployed to reduce waiting times at bus stops. The City of Kigali is also considering expanding dedicated bus lanes to other roads identified under the second phase of the programme. The new reforms seek to encourage greater use of public transport.

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Public transport users up by 30,000 in less than a month