{Police in Huye District have urged commercial cyclists to be organized and take internal measures to ensure good conduct and foster safe road usage.}
The message was delivered on March 15 when over 300 cyclists operating in Huye town convened to discuss ways of improving their business operations and their role in crime prevention.
Addressing the cyclists, the in-charge of traffic and road safety in Huye, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Jean Claude Mukomeza reminded them to understand the significance of road safety, take some time to learn about traffic laws because they apply to them as well like any other road user.
“Cyclists are entitled to similar road safety measures like vehicles, motorcycles and pedestrians, so they should not assume that road signs do not apply to them,” AIP Mukomeza said.
“You can make yourselves safer and respected by being competent by riding on allocated lanes but not on pedestrian pathways or in the middle of road. You should also use headlights and reflectors at night and follow other traffic rules and laws as motorists and vehicles,” he added.
Besides abiding by traffic rules, cyclists were also told to play a major role in crime prevention like drug trafficking and abuse, which are also committed or facilitated by cyclists.
Some cyclists have also been arrested in connection with theft.
The cyclists who attended the meeting are members of different associations grouped under one cooperative.
Christophe Ngiruwonsanga, the head of the cooperative reminded his colleagues that “Our services are accessed by many people; this is why we should ensure we keep them safe by abiding with traffic rules.”
Ngiruwonsanga commended police for frequently reaching out to their sphere, and urged fellow cyclists to follow the advice and be proactive partners in crime prevention.
“Some cyclists witness bad driving, crimes in progress, or are sometimes exploited by criminals such as burglars and transporters of illicit drugs. A patriotic and good cyclist should always be willing to cooperate with police by providing timely information whenever they experience such occurrences, so that their role in crime prevention is documented,” said Ngiruwonsanga.
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