A large number of travellers heading upcountry to celebrate the New Year with their families may no longer be stuck at the Nyabugogo bus terminal on December 30 and December 31. This comes after the City of Kigali and Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) revealed a plan to address the shortage of buses.

Three locations in the capital have been selected to have several buses available on Saturday and Sunday to transport travellers going to the countryside, as stated in the announcement signed by the Mayor of Kigali, Samuel Dusengiyumva, on Wednesday, December 27.

Travellers heading to Southern and Western provinces in the districts of Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Karongi, Ngororero and Rutsiro through Karongi will book buses from Kigali Pelé Stadium in Nyamirambo.

Commuters going to Eastern Province through Kabuga will use Kabuga Bus Park, while those not mentioned in the announcement will take buses from the Nyabugogo bus terminal and Nyanza Bus Park in Kicukiro.

The decision follows the bus shortage that was experienced ahead of Christmas Day. Travellers from Kigali, on Sunday, December 24, experienced challenges as they headed upcountry to celebrate Christmas as the buses plying several routes were overwhelmed by a surge in number of passengers.

The most overwhelming destinations were mainly Southern and Western provinces, specifically, Rusizi, Karongi, Rubavu, Huye, Muhanga, Ruhango and Nyamagabe districts.

In previous years, the number of travellers would also exceed the capacity of public transport companies dedicated to these routes. Ticket prices were also hiked.