The first day of the resumption of activities in Kigali was difficult for bus passengers. They only come in dribs and drabs. The wearing of masks is generally respected, but social distancing even less so.
It’s five o’clock. The bus station of Nyarugenge is full as before the coronavirus. Buses only come in drips. In a few hours the curfew starts. It starts at 8 p.m.
All day long the number of buses seemed insufficient. In the morning, the Nyamirambo-Road Station “Downtown” line was served unsatisfactorily.
A girl found in Nyamirambo on the bus stop known as ERP says that public transport is not working satisfactorily. “I’ve been waiting for the bus to get to work since eight hours. It is already 11 o’clock. I don’t know if I should continue to the service or go home,” she says, tired of waiting. Then she has to take the bus from Ville-Kimironko. She ends up finding a lift to the CHUK hospital where she finds the Ville-Kimironko connection without waiting too long.
Others have opted to walk to the city (Nyarugenge).
A lady working at RDB confided to me that she arrived at the service at 10:30′. “From 7:30 am, I was waiting for the bus,” she confides to me.
The police did their job
In Nyamirambo, the police officers present called to order the individuals without masks. Some drivers were driving without masks. The police officers withheld their driver’s licenses. Six were detained in the blink of an eye.
Some pedestrians wore the masks, some didn’t. Hairdressing salons have resumed their activities. Hairdressers were disciplined. They didn’t forget their masks. The bus drivers obeyed the instructions. All passengers wore the masks. Social distancing was well respected on the buses, but not always evident when entering.
Some people seem to think the coronavirus crisis is over. Awareness and surveillance work must continue.
Gerard Rugambwa
