Cabinet okays road network law

The law regulating road networks in Rwanda which is the first in its kind has been okayed by cabinet. The Minister of Infrastructure Linda Bihire, said that the act was approved by the cabinet and anytime it will be taken to the parliament for debate. She added that it should be published in the official gazette in less than six months. According to the draft law all roads will be regulated according to different parameters including its reserve and its classification. The law stratifies roads into national roads and international roads that link Rwanda with neighbouring states, district and the city of Kigali roads. Others include the urban centres, class one and two, specific roads. National roads will be owned and financed by the government, while districts and city of Kigali roads and that of urban centres shall be under the ownership of the districts and the city of Kigali respectively. However rehabilitation and development works shall be financed by the government and maintenance shall be financed from the road fund. “The law will generally help us to know who does what in terms of finances and ownership because it has been a challenge,” she said. Bihire noted that the act will set standards on the space to be left for walkways, space to put infrastructure like water facility and identify space between the road and houses because government has been expropriating people with different infrastructure near roads. According to Article13 of the Draft law, the minimum viable width of single lane one way carriageway shall be 3.5 metres excluding the side walks, drains and embankments. Ends

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Cabinet okays road network law