Rwanda National Police

 In line with the ongoing month-long road safety awareness campaign, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Administration and Personnel, Juvénal Marizamunda has challenged owners and heads of public transport companies to evaluate and follow up their drivers and ensure maximum road safety standards and prevent accidents caused by reckless drivers.

 DIGP Marizamunda made the remarks as he met with heads and representatives public transport associations on Tuesday September 22, at City of Kigali offices.

 He pointed out that “nothing is worth a human life,” a reason they should initiate and implement internal road safety regulations to keep their drivers in the check.

 “Accidents do not only affect those involved, they sometimes claim lives of pedestrians, and we must avoid them. You are aware of the distance and the time it take for a driver to move from one part of the country to another, that determines if the driver was overspending or not,” DIGP Marizamunda said.

 During the meeting, the Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety, CP George Rumanzi, presented the status of road security, with most accidents causes by reckless and drunk-driving, and overspeeding, among others.

 “You should know the personalities and behaviors of the drivers before you hire them as means of avoiding hiring reckless people,” CP Rumanzi said.

 The meeting was also attended by representatives from Rwanda Utility Regulatory Authority (RURA).

 Meanwhile, in Kicukiro District, Police officers and local leaders engaged about 2, 000 commercial cyclists in messages related to road safety.

 The president of the umbrella association of cyclists in Kicukiro district detailed lessons cyclists learnt during the sector level meetings saying that part of what they were taught included taking part in crime prevention.

 Various cyclists who spoke, reminded their colleagues to ride with care as sometimes they cause or involve in accidents, losing some of their members.

 Florance Uwayisaba, the vice mayor in charge of social affairs urged cyclists to heed to the Rwanda National Police road safety call to save their lives and that of others.

 “I urge you to take the lessons taught seriously and use them to educate other road users,” she said.

 The Road Safety Month which was officially launched on September 7 under the theme “Respect Traffic Rule: Save Lives”.

 The aims at sensitizing road users including students, on road safety standards with an objective of  enhancing public knowledge on traffic rules and regulations to prevent accidents and dangers of violation of traffic rules.