Rwanda, Burundi to Start Driving on the Left

{{Rwanda is now in the process of channeling the country’s motorists into the left side of the road and already a number of studies have been launched to aid the proposed traffic transition.}}

This is according to the Deputy Director General of Rwanda Bureau of Standards, Mr Patrice Ntiyamira who is currently in Arusha.

Ntiyamira told media on saturday’ during the on-going 17th East African Standards Committee (EASC) meeting taking place here which is being attended by the heads of National Standards Bodies from the five East African Community Member states.

The Rwandan official revealed that the issue of conflicting road and traffic regulations in the five EAC member states was among the topics being discussed in the EASC meeting whose sessions are being held behind closed doors.

Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda drive on the left side of the road having inherited the traffic regulations from their former Anglophonic rulers while the Francophone Rwanda and Burundi maintained their right driving.

As a result, motorists operating in the East African Member countries found themselves ‘driving on the wrong sides of the road,’ whenever crossing onto other territories.

While heads of National Bureaus of Standards are in Arusha discussing the harmonisation of quality certification of goods, it has come to light that so far there have been no efforts to harmonise traffic regulations in the East African Community.

Driving on different sides of the road is also proving to be expensive for Rwanda and Burundi the two land-locked countries that depend on Tanzania and Kenya coastline to ship in their vehicles all of which, being destined for East Africa come with the driving wheels fixed on the right.

{agencies}