Rwanda National Police (RNP) has re-launched the Gerayo Amahoro road safety campaign on Thursday, December 8, to further influence behavioral change and to save lives on roads.
The campaign seeks to drive change from road safety by law to road safety by choice and ultimately by culture. It was stopped prematurely in 2020 after 39 weeks, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reopening of the campaign in different parts of the country was presided over by the RNP leadership, provincial Governors and district mayors, among others.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza, while addressing hundreds of taxi-moto operators and cyclists at Kigali stadium, said that despite the reduction in road accidents, many lives continue to be lost at the hands of reckless road users.
“Although accidents have reduced this year compared to last year, many people still die on the roads. Since the beginning of this year, 9,468 accidents occurred across the country resulting in 617 fatalities.
The majority 183 fatalities involved or were caused by cyclists while the other 150 involved taxi-moto operators,” IGP Munyuza said.
The decrease in accidents, he said, was due to the installation of speed enforcement cameras, awareness campaigns as well as enforcement to penalize violators.
“People killed on roads are parents and even young people, whose lives are cut short by drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists who use the road recklessly. This is a serious concern that should be given attention by everyone using the road,” he added.
The Police Chief said that although the force emphasizes road safety education, errant violators will be penalized and consequently their driver’s license revoked, accordingly, to make roads safe for all.
He further warned against drunk-driving, one of the major causes of road fatalities.
“No one is stopping you from drinking, but when you do, don’t drive or ride. Your life and that of other road users is invaluable. Do not be penalized for violating traffic rules and regulations, and putting your lives on the edge. Use the road responsibly, make safety a priority,” IGP Munyuza told Motorcyclists and cyclists.
Today in Rwanda, it is easy for Police to identify someone, who is driving while drunk using a breathalyzer, soon, the law enforcers will introduce another device that can detect a person, who is driving under the influence of drugs.
IGP Munyuza also embarked on improvements within the traffic as well as licensing departments, including the decentralization of driving test services, online registration and booking for driving test and mechanical inspection, which is part of the government agenda to take services closer to the people and service delivery.
He added that driving test services will ultimately be extended to the district level as well as activating the automatic notification for those whose mechanical inspection certificate is about to expire.
IGP Munyuza further reminded taxi-moto operators to respect the mandatory use of fare meters.
“The general sense here is security of the people and the country as you go about your transport business to support your families and the country.
