Rwanda

The Rwandan city of Kigali, is the economic, cultural, and transport hub of the country. Kigali is also known as a best practice for urbanism and sustainable transport in African cities. The city of one million, in the mountainous center of the small, landlocked nation, has made major, transformational changes over the past decade. Regulated moto taxis and a city bus system were improved further with the 2016 Smart Kigali initiative, and there are car-free Sundays twice every month. Street improvement measures include everything from beautification to quality footpaths and fully pedestrianized areas of the city centre.

ITDP Africa is working with both the city of Kigali and the national government to further grow these successes to the six secondary cities surrounding Kigali, and support these with clear policies at the national level. These include creating non-motorized transport, parking, and traffic reduction policies that can be replicated throughout the nation and region.

Currently, ongoing projects include:

The Kigali Street Design Manual: ITDP is working on the Kigali Street Design Manual in partnership with the City of Kigali and the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA). The manual is intended to inform best design practices on future street constructions and repairs.

City of Kigali Masterplan: ITDP is also working with the Ministry of Infrastructure and the City of Kigali in the development of the City of Kigali NMT masterplan. The masterplan is in its initial stages and is expected to ensure that walking and cycling infrastructure is prioritized.

Public Transport Reform:In order to ensure improved public transport operations, Rwanda is currently in the process of reforming public transport operations, contracts and service plans. ITDP is also taking part in the review of the service plans and the financial models which will determine the fleet sizes and the fares in the public transport buses in Kigali.