The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Administration and Personnel, Jeanne Chantal Ujeneza, received a delegation from Liberia, at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters at Kacyiru.
The delegation, which is in the country since Monday, visited the RNP to specifically understand Rwanda’s traffic management policies and enforcement.
The Deputy Police Chief thanked the delegation for choosing Rwanda and the RNP in particular for their benchmarking.
Through a presentation, the delegation was given an overview on traffic management in the country, mainly through the three departments of Traffic and Road Safety (TRS), Automobile Inspection Centre (AIC) and Testing and Licensing (TL).
Effective laws and policies, embracing technology as well as public awareness were identified as efficient tools that are facilitating the RNP in the road traffic management system.
Technology in road traffic management includes the integrated database, speed governor, fleet management system, traffic enforcement cameras, red light cameras and body worn cameras, among others.
The integrated database records transactions related to fines and related exhibits, facilitates online booking, either for automobile inspection or driving test, among others.
Whereas traffic enforcement cameras largely enforce speed limits, red light cameras captures automobiles that have violated and entered an intersection after the traffic lights controlling the intersection have turned red.
The Liberian officials from different entities, including the Police and ministries, inquired more on the process of acquiring a driver’s license, management of traffic flow and enforcement.
“Laws and policies must be respected by everyone, regardless of who you are, and that has become a culture; whether wearing a helmet for everyone on a motorcycle, observing speed limits, driving only when you are sober and other practices permitted for safer road usage. Contrary to that, there are specified punitive measures, including fines,” DIGP Ujeneza said.
She further mentioned road safety awareness as a key factor in improving road security to drive the ideals of shifting from respecting traffic rules as a law to making it a choice and ultimately a culture.
Samuel C. Wonasue, the coordinator of the road safety secretariat in Liberia, and head of the delegation, said that their five-day visit to Rwanda is for “peer review.”
“There is a lot we can learn and borrow from Rwanda, including in traffic management,” said Wonasue.
Later, the Liberian officials also visited the command and control centre, traffic and road safety enforcement system and the Traffic and Road Safety headquarters. (End)