As preparations for re-introducing taxi moto metres are in gear, there are persistent concerns from both passengers and riders. Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) seeks to address these concerns in a statement they will release soon. ALSO READ: Motorcycle smart metres to be re-introduced The initiative has been suspended on different occasions over several issues, like faulty metres for example. Below are five concerns: ALSO READ: Will mandatory use of smart meters finally picks up? 1. Fee issue Passengers and motorcyclists have raised the issue of being overcharged and riders say that with the continuous increase in fuel price, the metre fee has never been revised. On the other hand, passengers also claim that the expense for some trips is too high. Previously, the fare price for the first two kilometres was Rwf400 and Rwf117 per kilometre for the rest of the journey. Beyond 40 kilometres, the tariff rose to Rwf205. 2. Network issues Another concern is poor connection; as RURA plans the re-introduction of mandatory smart metres use, some are still facing network issues. Riders say that poor internet connection sometimes leads to errors in the amount of money passengers have to pay, yet after that, it becomes hard to link the fee and distance already travelled. 3. The commission fees There is a fee of 10 per cent of their daily income. RURA announced a reduction a few years back, but the new fee is still unknown. It is still an issue for riders to pay that amount on a daily income as they have to pay for the gadgets. 4. Lack of awareness Another issue that hinders the use of smart metres is user mentality where some choose not to use them because they don’t know enough about them. As they are being reintroduced, people are wondering how and what has been changed this time around—if there has been a campaign to give insights into why people should use them. 5. Riders refuse to use metres With guidelines yet to be revealed, passengers are wondering how riders who stubbornly refuse to use the metres will be held accountable—many still don’t see the need to use them. According to RURA data, in the City of Kigali, 23,000 motorcyclists have smart metres and the installation process is still ongoing.
