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The Traffic and Road Safety (TRS) arrested 32 drivers on Sunday night in City of Kigali after they were found driving while drunk. This came a day after other 88 motorists were arrested also in Kigali over similar traffic offence.
According to Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera, Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, other 53 drivers have also been arrested in the past one month for disconnecting the speed governor so as to speed.
“We have been sensitizing people, especially drivers on proper and safe road usage; we have time and again reminded motorists on respecting traffic rules and regulations and particularly desisting from human actions like driving under the influence of alcohol, whose outcomes are fatal,” CP Kabera said.
“It has been observed that some drivers display unacceptable behaviors like drunken driving, speeding, tampering with speed governors and driving vehicles that are not road worthy… without mechanical certificates. It’s now time to take action because we can’t tolerate such dangerous behaviors, that cause loss of lives, to persist” he warned.
“Consequences of violating road safety standards are dire and will not only affect the driver's family with medical bills or worse still losing loved ones, but the country in general to repair the destroyed public infrastructure; these stringent measures are, therefore, meant to fight such dangerous human actions and to ensure safer roads for all.”
Drunken driving is a traffic offence that attracts a fine of Rwf150, 000 while speeding is punishable with a fine of Rwf50, 000. Tampering with speed governor device attracts a fine of Rwf200, 000 but if such action leads to speeding, the offender is slapped with an additional fine of Rwf50, 000.
“Any traffic offence you commit and results into another offence, it means additional fines, although drunken driving and tampering with speed governor further leads to imprisonment, confiscation of driver's license and impounding the vehicle,” said CP Kabera.
He emphasized that Police doesn’t prevent people from enjoying or drinking alcohol but advised against impaired driving by finding other safer means to get to their destination, including using special hire or booking someone beforehand to drive you home.
