Accused of being responsible for the majority of fatal accidents, motorbike taxis, bicycle taxis and tuk-tuks are banned in the economic capital Bujumbura. A rather controversial decision by the Ministry of the Interior which took effect on Monday 21 March.
“The measure of respect for the new perimeter forbidden to tricycles, motorbikes and taxi bikes in the centre of the city of Bujumbura comes into effect from Monday 21 March 2022,” the ministry said on Twitter on Sunday. A restriction that aims to limit traffic to these two- and three-wheelers. Thus, the new measure only gives them access to a few areas on its periphery.
Two-wheelers for private use are also affected by the decision, with the exception of motorbikes with official plates or belonging to the police.
Furthermore, to warn critics of this unpopular measure, the Minister of the Interior, General Gervais Ndirakobuca, adds everything in capital letters: “BEWARE TO THOSE WHO WILL NOT FOLLOW”. As a result, very early on Monday, armed police officers were deployed on the various roads leading to the forbidden zone.
The only reason given was that there were too many traffic accidents caused by this type of vehicle. To this end, last February, the Minister of the Interior accused them of being responsible for the majorityof road accidents which caused 1,300 deaths and 1,970 injuries between January 2021 and January 2022 according to information relayed by AFP.
Clearly, the new measure risks putting several thousand drivers whose main source of income is transport out of work.
Thus, customers and drivers, often young men from rural areas, will be affected. Also, the higher costs of travelling by bus or taxi, the only other alternatives left, will also pose a problem for users who cannot afford them.
