Students stranded as schools reopen

KIGALI - Hundreds of students returning to school were yesterday stranded in Kigali due to a shortage of public transport back to school. Patrick Simbi, a student from Gitwe Adventist College, Gitarama, said that he had been waiting for transport since morning in vain. “We’ve been here since 10:00 AM, but there are no cars. It’s now past 2 PM and I’m thinking of returning home and probably just come back at around 6 AM tomorrow morning,” he said, adding that he was delighted that transport fares haven’t been hiked as it usually happens. Simbi requested that the responsible ministry provides transport every beginning of the term. Rachel Ingabire, a student from Groupe Scholaire Mater Deo, Nyanza, shared almost similar views. “Before, we would get stranded because of rise of transport fares, but this time, it’s because there are no vehicles. The few that come have to be fought for so if you’re not strong enough, you end up like us who have been waiting all day,” Ingabire said. The Chairman of Commuter Transporters Association (ATPR) and proprietors of Kigali Bus Service, Charles Ngarambe, said that the number of students had now exceeded their capacity. “We met with public transporters and discussed how best to help the students return to school. We agreed that there would be no hiking of transport fare which transporters have complied with, but the number of students has turned out to be higher than we anticipated,” Ngarambe said. Damien Harerimana, a taxi driver along the Kigali-Gicumbi route, said the number of students keeps growing each term, but quickly added that this was always the case whenever students return to school. Ends

National

Students stranded as schools reopen