The motorcycle taxi drivers resume their business from June 1st without touching the money. Payment will be made by electronic machine or by money transfer via Mobile Money (MoMo).
As promised, motorcycle taxi drivers in the city of Kigali have been informed at Nyamirambo Stadium that they will resume their business as from June 1, 2020.
However, they will not be able to touch coins or banknotes as they did before covid-19.
“We will resume our business on 1 June but we will not be able to touch the money in our hands. This allows us to avoid the spread of the coronavirus,” said Jean Bararwerekana, a motorcycle taxi driver in the Nyarugenge area. He doesn’t see any disadvantage in this way of working. The motorcycle he uses belongs to him. He has a MoMo account.
Aphrodis Hezayo is also a motorcycle-taxi driver but the motorcycle does not belong to him. He has a leasing contract. He has eight months left to pay off the entire debt to become the new owner. He fears the use of the electronic payment machine.
“I don’t know if the electronic machine will be mine or if it will be under the identity of the motorcycle owner,” he explains. “The best option would be for me to give the machine to the rider of the motorcycle,” he shows his preference. “I think that in this case the money will go directly to the rider’s account. That way he will be able to honour the terms of the contract without any problems,” he explains his preference. “Otherwise, if there is any kind of breakdown, you have to wait for the boss, the family has to be fed, …” he points out some of the disadvantages of giving the electronic machine to the owner of the motorcycle rather than to the rider.
All motorcycle-taxi drivers must, before resuming their business, benefit from a free test at covid-19. At the Nyamirambo regional stadium, a medical team had been deployed for this purpose.
Gérard Rugambwa
