How transport is boosting Rwanda’s development. 

Transport is an essential factor for the development and has proved to triumph as a catalyst in changes that have occurred in all industrial revolutions. For development to be more effective there will always need to be an effective way of exchanging messages, but also the exchange of goods and services where transportation is inevitable.  Even getting a glimpse from the past, according to Scholarworks.umass.edu , the application of steam technology to transportation in the 19th century increased the speed of travel and increased the size of vehicles, making trips both quicker and more comfortable. Scholarworks.umass.edu. (2008). Transportation is a component that has evolved in every sort of transition in the industrialization of the world. It is easy for people to not see clearly that transport when well catered for, can bring about great changes across different sectors within a country’s economy, because easy transportation makes possible the exchange of goods and services, which is of absolute necessity in development.

Today, transport continues to remain important in the economic progress of any country, and hence Rwanda, which is one of Africa’s fastest developing economies, have realized that transportation has to be given the necessary attention. Inasmuch it requires too much budgeting to ensure that different commodities and infrastructure are put in place, for Rwanda this must have been a challenge that had the potential to limit progress in the transport sector in a way that even what is already in place today could not have been feasible. However through the cooperation of Rwandans through different programs such as Umuganda, some infrastructure costs have been reduced. Although the geographical nature of the country imposes difficulty in the transportation sector, Rwanda has been trying to deal with transport matters in different ways to facilitate the exchange of goods and services, not only internally but also internationally. And there’re different solutions that have been proposed which are associated with different sectors that include Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA), Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA), and Road Maintenance Fund (RMF). The transportation in Rwanda has also shown significant improvements through the National Traffic Police, which has proved to be one of the key facilitators of efficiency in transportation in the country. Through strong policies and different events including but not limited to awareness campaigns such as Gerayo Amahoro which means Arrive safely, and other measures have proven to limit the number of road accidents, and in that way saving lives of citizens who are key to the country’s economic and social development. 

How drones are surely saving lives in Rwanda

Smart transportation has brought about clear facilitation of medical services in the healthcare sector which has indicated great effectiveness for example through the use of drones to transfer blood across hospitals which has redeemed much time and lives of people. According to The New Times, It was in 2016 that Rwanda embraced this form of technology, a step that made it the first country in the world to commercially use drones to deliver medical supplies. The New Times | Rwanda. (2019).  

No worries, just Tap&Go

The use of tap and go cards in Rwanda’s capital city Kigali, has also brought more order and improvements in transportation. It has brought in more organization as electronic payment prevent some malpractice that could include raising prices as well as stoping in unplanned places to get side cash, and in that way the use of tap and go cards saves time for travels by cutting off money exchange related challenges that include giving balances. This enables people to be sure that they will achieve certain accomplishments at planned time slots, which is necessary for good development. According to The New Times, Tap&Go also collects data that is used in decision making. The current study (public transport 2.0) being done by the Government hinges a lot on the data that has been collected over the last four years by Tap&Go and all this is to better the commuter experience, reduce delays and create a world-class transport system and this is all possible and easier when you have data. The New Times | Rwanda. (2019). If people got to be smart, they have to do things smartly, and smart transportation is one of the indicators of smart progress. 

Bridging the gap between rural communities and economic cities.

Good transportation services are playing a significant role in linking people from various places, and with this, there is a boost in modernization as this helps to overcome boundaries between rural areas and cities where people get to exchange services without much difficulty. This enables in lowering down the levels of civilization because people get more exposure and participation in economic activities beyond just within their communities. Deriving the message from the vice president of the African development bank, several policies, and other interventions have been implemented by the Government to address the sector’s challenges. All these interventions prioritize improving the quality and reliability of transport infrastructure and services, which is critical for reducing transport costs, attracting investments and contributing to the broader goals of inclusive growth by connecting rural communities to economic activities. Afdb.org. (2019). 

Railway the dream of Rwanda and Fly the dream of Africa

The efforts imposed in the transport sector show a great propensity for sustainability. Improvements to the road transport activities such as constructing modern roads and plans of the railway show that the transport services in Rwanda became stronger. According to the Africa report, 2019. The Minister of State in charge of Transport, Hon. Eng.Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye presented to the Chamber of Deputies, the draft law approving the ratification of the agreement between the Government of Rwanda and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania for the joint implementation of Isaka-Kigali Standard Gauge Railway Project, signed at Kigali, on 09 March 2018. The ratification of this agreement is an important step that will enable the Government of Rwanda to mobilize funds. The agreement has already been ratified by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Africa Report.com. (2019). Although there have been different hindrances that have blocked the railway project from moving on as fast as it was intended, there is a predicted possibility that once this dream is in place, it will come along with great development benefits Rwandans are waiting for.  Another indicator that supports the above is clear in the Aviation sector, where the construction of Bugesera international airport promises sustainable outputs. Rwanda has now signed a deal to construct the airport on international standard and this brings more value to the transport in the country, as the pool of passengers is estimated to highly increase. According to Rwanda High Commission in Singapore, the new plan will see the airport have the capacity of seven million passengers annually in the first phase and 14 million in the second phase over the same period. Rwandahighcomm.org.sg. (2019). 

Conclusion

The transportation solutions in Rwanda are promising and the statement about the sustainability of the current and forecasted solutions on transport remains affirmative in Rwanda because there is clear hope for the better that it entails. 

References:

  • Scholarworks.umass.edu. (2008). [online] Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1040&context=edethicsinscience [Accessed 20 Dec. 2019].
  • Afdb.org. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Project-and-Operations/Rwanda_-_Transport_Sector_Review_and_Action_Plan.pdf [Accessed 20 Dec. 2019].
  • The New Times | Rwanda. (2019). Drones in health care: What is their impact on quality care and delivery? [online] Available at: https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/drones-health-care-what-their-impact-quality-care-and-delivery [Accessed 20 Dec. 2019].
  • Rwandahighcomm.org.sg. (2019). Rwanda and Qatar Airways signs deal on Bugesera Airport – High Commission of The Republic of Rwanda Singapore. [online] Available at: http://rwandahighcomm.org.sg/2019/12/10/rwanda-and-qatar-airways-signs-deal-on-bugesera-airport/ [Accessed 20 Dec. 2019].
  • The New Times | Rwanda. (2019). FEATURED: Tap&Go and the myth that surrounds it. [online] Available at: https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/featured-tapgo-and-myth-surrounds-it [Accessed 3 Mar. 2020].
  • Tanzania and Rwanda in a push to reshape East African logistics | The Africa Report.com. (2019). Retrieved 4 March 2020, from https://www.theafricareport.com/21163/tanzania-and-rwanda-in-push-to-reshape-east-african-logistics/
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