Public transport around the country is a continuous hassle, with overloading of passengers being one of the most serious drawbacks as cited by public transport users. According to Innocent Twahirwa, the managing director of Jali Transport, and Charles Ngarambe, the executive chairman of Kigali Bus Service, the buses are designed to carry 70 passengers, 40 seated and 30 standing, and a driver. However, drivers do not comply as they exceed the number of insured passengers. Standing passengers in buses are most likely to be the overload, with many buses exceeding 30. Patrick Ishimwe, a university student, said, “I usually use public transport, however, I personally feel uncomfortable whenever the bus overloads. “We leave home clean but when we take the bus that is overloaded with standing passengers, we arrive at our destination looking dirty because we get stepped on or fall over each other in the bus. Due to how drivers exceed the limited number of passengers, it gets hot inside and sometimes sitting passengers refuse to open windows because it’s windy or raining and we lack enough air to breathe,” he added. ALSO READ: The rigours of public transport in Kigali Monique Ishimwe a businesswoman who uses the Remera bus shares the same sentiments. “When I’m in the bus standing, it makes me uneasy as some passengers cough openly and may pass on a sickness easily because of how crowded the bus is.” Antony Kuramba, the spokesperson of Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), said, “We are going to put more effort into it and work together with the traffic police assigned, as well as controlling buses so that the number of passengers is not exceeded. Overloading is an offence and punishable.” ALSO READ: Private sector must be fully engaged to address public transport woes in Kigali “Drivers have two documents that show the capacity number of passengers in buses and the license that is given by RURA depending on a determined number of passengers. Any driver who goes beyond the limited number of passengers is fined Rwf30, 000 for each passenger exceeded,” said René Irere, the spokesperson of Rwanda National Police (RNP) Traffic and Road Safety department, told The New Times. “I encourage the collaboration of passengers and traffic police as there is a special contact in every bus that one can call when faced with any issue regarding overloading since it is against the law and punishable,” he added.
