Future of Rwandan motorcycle business is in co-operatives

The motorcycle taxis will benefit from being in co-operatives. PHOTO FILE | NATION 

In Summary

• Graft and abuse of power by officials of the co-operatives remains a major impediment.
• Under the 2013 transport sector regulation, Rura stopped authorising permits for individuals and gave that role to co-operatives, companies and associations.
• In June last year, the motorists under their apex federation of taxi moto co-operatives petitioned parliament over the graft.

By KABONA ESIARA
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The future of Rwandan motorcycle taxis lies in operating within co-operatives. However, graft and abuse of power by officials of the co-operatives remains a major impediment.

Government departments charged with facilitating the burgeoning industry, which employs mostly the youth hope to bring order in the motorcycle taxi business.

Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (Rura) and Rwanda Co-operative Agency have been holding consultation meetings with riders of motorcycle taxis in different districts, who raised various concerns.

One of the ways officials of the co-operatives extort money from their members is by deliberately delaying processing the permits.

Under the 2013 transport sector regulation, Rura stopped authorising permits for individuals and gave that role to co-operatives, companies and associations.

The permits are a prerequisite before a registered motorcycle can offer public transport services.

READ: Gadget to change moto business

Currently, the services are centralised at Rura offices in Kiyovu meaning the permits have to be physically collected by officials of the co-operatives.

This, according to Rura officials has created room for corrupt officials to extort money from members.

To check the graft, some motorists who talked to Rwanda Today said they are pushing for the authorisation to be decentralised at the provincial level to reduce the waiting time as Rura is said to be overwhelmed by the work.

According to Rura, it takes two days to process the authorisation permit, but some officials from the co-operatives take two months to deliver them.

During that period, riders are forced to foot transport costs and sometimes accommodation expenses in addition to allowances of the officials.

It is not the first time the motorcycle taxi transporters are complaining about the challenges they face in the country.

In June last year, the motorists under their apex federation of taxi moto co-operatives petitioned parliament over the graft.

Each co-operative has 100 members and there are about 25,000 members registered with the federation of taxi moto co-operatives (Ferwacotamu) in the country. There are an estimated 12,000 riders of motorcycle taxis in Kigali.