Rwanda National Police (RNP), yesterday, launched a nationwide campaign to sensitise all categories of road users on traffic rules and regulations so as to promote road safety in the country. The week-long campaign, conducted across the country, is part of the ongoing Police Week launched last week as part of the 18t h anniversary of the Force. Addressing thousands of motorcyclists at Amahoro National Stadium, the State Minister for Transport, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, said the “life of every Rwandan is valuable”. “We are constructing roads to link people to markets, facilitate businesses and ease movement of people, but not to kill people at the hands of careless motorists,” he said. Police statistics indicate that 38 per cent of all fatalities registered in the first four months of this year were either caused by or involved motorcyclists. Overall, road accidents dropped by 5.5 per cent during the same period; however, those caused by motorcycles increased by 15 per cent. Out of 138 people who died in accidents over the last four months, 46.7 per cent of them were motorcyclists. 246 injuries, including 53 life-threatening cases, were also registered. “With about 60, 000 motorcyclists across the country, those are jobs created; these are people who are earning and supporting their families, and contributing to the development of the country, but people should feel safe using your motorcycles rather than feeling threatened,” Uwihanganye said. He also urged owners and heads of travel agencies and leaders of motorcycle cooperatives to help enforce road safety standards by taking internal measures against errant drivers or motorcyclists. He further said that measures have been drawn up to control and manage commercial motorcyclists, including compulsory installation of GPS on all motorcycles, which will help the police to trace riders that violate traffic rules or those implicated in criminal acts. The Deputy Inspector General in charge of Operations, Dan Munyuza, said that most accidents are preventable, citing speeding, bad maneuvers, riding/driving under the influence of alcohol, and speaking on phone while driving as some of the common causes of accidents. “You should not wake up to go and to kill yourself, be responsible all the time,” DIGP Munyuza said. He disclosed that about 1200 motorcycles have been impounded in the City of Kigali alone over the past few months over serious traffic offences, including lack of driver’s license and insurance. The deputy IGP, however, thanked some motorcyclists for their responsiveness against crimes. He cited the example of a motorcyclist who last week intercepted a woman, who had stolen a baby in Kabuga, a Kigali city suburb. The motorcyclist, after suspecting that the woman he was transporting could have stolen the baby, he took them to the police station instead, and the baby was given back to the biological mother and the suspect detained. According to the newly elected president of the federation of motorcycle cooperatives, Daniel Ngarambe, the federation is building a database to register every commercial motorcyclist and owners of motorcycles, which will also help to trace implicated wrongdoers, keep records of their members’ behaviour and help them to take action against errand riders, including expelling them. Ngarambe also said they will soon issue a service card to each of their member for easy identification, as well as organise them in clusters through which they will be discussing such issues as safety, security and development. The countrywide drive also involved painting zebra crossings or creating new ones, erecting signposts in hotspots, and putting stickers on cars and motorcycles with road safety messages. In the Western Province, Deputy IGP in charge of Administration and Personnel, Juvenal Marizamunda also delivered road safety tips to drivers and motorcyclists in Rubavu District, and urged them to partner in security and development aspects. In the Southern Province, Governor Marie Rose Mureshyankwano also appealed to motorists to value their lives and that of other road users. Similar messages were also delivered in the Northern and Eastern where provincial officials and senior police officers engaged drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists in Gicumbi and Nyagatare, respectively. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
