One step forward, two backward

ONLY recently, after years of frustration, commuters in Kigali managed a grin on their faces after a ‘messiah’ in the names of Kigali Bus Service delivered on its promise to put to the road 80-seater ultra modern buses that would eventually end the misery of squeezing out the now infamous 18-seater omnibus.That was not the only good piece of news for many a city traveller. Around the same time, City authorities went into overdrive telling all and sundry about the new head gear for motorcycle users. In its pursuit of cleanliness, Kigali City made it obligatory for motorcycle transporters to provide protective headgear to passengers. To this I will return.The arrival of the ‘monster’ buses was greeted with much glee; many took joy rides just to have a feel of ultra modern spacious gadget. For those who have travelled on the bus in Europe, it was a chance to relive the ‘oyster card’ experience, swiping your way home. Lo and behold! Just like in a dream, the joy was short-lived. Commuters including yours truly who had joined in the bandwagon were soon to find themselves ensconced in a rut of disillusionment. They had been shortchanged.The temptation to long for the ‘good old’ omnibus was irresistible, for there was no difference just like the animals in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, in a meeting at the window of the farm; when they looked inside and couldn’t distinguish between man and animal.Poor customer care has become a cliché, attracting myriad of concern even from the highest office of the land. Travelling on a Kigali Bus Service can be described as a nightmare for lack of better description. From an 80-seater bus, it has now come to an ‘infinity-seater’. The buses are not only overloaded but lack proper air conditioning since the windows were not designed to be opened. The inconvenience does not stop there; it reaches down to the purse as well. The bus driver who doubles as a convoyeur (conductor) never returns change. A passenger is allowed to board only if they have changed money (Rwf250). Failure to do so means forfeiting the change or being left at the bus stage! And that is not all; the bus is painfully slow. What was envisaged to be a quick, reliable and efficient bus service has degenerated at a rate unimaginable.Coming back to the head gear for motorcycle users, they disappeared with no trace. City authorities who went out loud during the launch of the head gear have conspicuously gone silent; what went wrong, only God knows. The million dollar question is how City authorities and other line regulatory authorities like the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) and the traffic Police look on as people’s rights and freedoms are being defiled. The Kigali Bus Service in particular has been the next best thing to happen to city commuters since sliced bread. What it needs is regulation and streamlining of its operations. Proper customer is must if the company is to survive on the market. They cannot hold passengers at ransom for long. RURA should be more proactive other than waiting to act when there is outcry from the public. And for the head gear…over to you, Your Lordship the Mayor.