Editing Transport in Rwanda (section)

==Public transport==

===International===
There are several daily coach services from Rwanda to destinations in the African Great Lakes:
* Jaguar Executive Coaches, which connects Kigali to [[Kampala]], the [[Uganda]]n capital, via [[Gatuna]] (road 1 on the map above) or via [[Kayonza]] and [[Kagitumba]] (roads 2 and 2a).
* Regional Coach Services, which runs services to Kampala (8 hours), [[Nairobi]], [[Kenya]] (20 hours) and [[Dar es Salaam]], [[Tanzania]] (36 hours), all via the Gatuna border crossing. These buses are usually air-conditioned.
* Trinity Coach - a Rwandan service using quite basic buses, running between Kigali and Kampala.
* Modern Coast, a [[Kenya]]n coach and courier service which connects [[Gisenyi]]/[[Goma]] and [[Kigali]] through [[Gatuna]] to [[Kampala]] and [[Nairobi]]. It offers online booking and payment, three seat classes and in some busses personal TVs and 240 V / USB sockets. 
* Yahoo Car Express - A minibus service running between Kigali and [[Bujumbura]], [[Burundi]]. This service has been subject to ambush in the past by rebels in Burundi, although the new [[Politics of Burundi|government]] claim to have sorted out this problem now.

In addition the national express share taxi services (see below) to Gisenyi and Cyangugu often cross the [[Democratic Republic of Congo|DRC]] border to carry passengers to [[Goma]] and [[Bukavu]] respectively.

===National===
The main form of [[public transport]] within Rwanda is the express bus, which has superseded the [[share taxi]] on the main routes.

==== Share taxi ====
[[File:Nyabugogo Bus Station (213634905).jpeg|thumb|right|Nyabugogo Bus Station]]
Share taxis run between two termini (known as taxi parks), but stop frequently en route to pick up and drop off passengers. They are known locally simply as ''taxi'' or, colloquially, ''twegerane'', which means 'let's sit together' in the [[Kinyarwanda language]] (a conventional private [[Taxicab|taxi]] is referred to as a ''special hire'' or ''taxi voiture'').

They almost always wait until full before departing, and can also wait for long periods in locations along the route if not enough people are on board.

The vehicles are usually [[Toyota]] [[minibus]]es owned by a private individual who employs a [[Driving|driver]] ([[French language|Fr]]: ''chauffeur'') and a [[Conductor (transportation)|conductor]] ([[French language|Fr]]: ''convoyeur'') to operate and maintain the vehicle on a day-to-day basis. Most have four rows of seats, each of which seats four adults (babies and children not being counted as they are expected to sit on the lap of an adult). Additionally there are two front passenger seats, so the vehicle can carry a total of up to eighteen passengers, in addition to the driver and the conductor.

The conductor is responsible for opening and closing the main sliding door and collecting money from passengers, and will stand in the space by the door if all seats re occupied. No tickets are issued on this form of taxi.
[[File:MototaxisKigali(november2022).png|left|thumb|232x232px|Moto taxis in Kigali (November 2022)]]
'''Moto taxis'''

A large portion of the vehicles on roads in Rwanda, especially Kigali, are moto taxis. A motorbike or scooter is driven and a single passenger can hop on and off the back and pay the required fare. <ref>{{Cite news |title=Cheap Asian motorcycles are transforming African cities |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/08/15/cheap-asian-motorcycles-are-transforming-african-cities |access-date=2024-10-04 |work=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref>

==== Express bus ====
These run to a set timetable (usually each 30 minutes) between major towns, only stopping at official stops near the destination(s). Even if alighting earlier, the price to the next major stop has to be paid. Almost all routes pass through [[Nyabugogo]] in [[Kigali]].

The buses are run by private companies and issue tickets in advance with a price set by the government. As tickets are paid and printed at the offices (major stops) or by an employee along the road (smaller stops), there is no need for a conductor to collect the money in the bus. Tickets can be issued in advance, so they might be sold out quickly at busy times (especially Fridays, Sundays and at the beginning/end of school holidays).

In contrast to the Share Taxi, this form of transport respects the schedule rather than waiting to be full. Also, they are almost never overfilled and rather depart earlier.

The size ranges from [[Toyota Coaster]] to big coaches. Most coaches are run by [[Ritco]], on which the government holds a share. It is also the only company to have stops all across the country, while its private competitors are limited to specific regions. When it was founded it replaced Onatracom, another public company.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201702070052.html|title=Rwanda: RITCO Buses Start Operations on Upcountry Routes|last=Mpirwa|first=Elisee|date=2017-02-07|work=The New Times (Kigali)|access-date=2018-03-13}}</ref>

==== Comparison ====
As of 2018, share taxis are still the main form of transport in remote areas, while express buses are used wherever available. This is due to the almost equal price and increased comfort and speed of the express buses.

===Urban===
[[File:Tap & Go Machine.jpg|thumb|300px|Tap&Go system used on buses<ref>"Tap&Go and the myth that surrounds it", ''The New Times'', July 04, 2019 [https://web.archive.org/web/20210324113615/https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/featured-tapgo-and-myth-surrounds-it]</ref>.]]
Public transport in Kigali takes the form of the stopping share taxis mentioned above, but running much more frequently due to greater demand. While the national ones are typically unmarked, Kigali taxis have a yellow stripe running round the vehicle, on which is imprinted the start and end points of its route. Most services start or finish either in the city centre or at Nyabugogo, the city's main national bus station.

A recent survey carried out by the Transport Companies Association in Kigali
gives us the following statistics:
There are 19 bus companies operating a total of  1633 buses of various makes,
models and sizes in various parts of Rwanda. In Kigali City itself there are 622
buses operating. Of these 622, 90.6% of them are small Toyota Hiace vehicles, mostly more than
10 years old, and many much older. Of the larger type vehicles carrying up to 30 passengers or so there are 58 units of which 34.4% are new vehicles owned and operated by Kigali Bus Services Ltd.