Kigali: Rwanda National Police (RNP) has called upon all road users and spectators to bear with temporary road traffic changes which are meant to facilitate the cycling competition–Tour du Rwanda–which kicked off yesterday.
The force particularly appealed to spectators to support responsibly by not standing in the road or any other behaviour that can interrupt the competition or worse still cause an accident.
“We wish to remind road users that the 11th edition of Tour du Rwanda started on Sunday February 24 and will end on March 3; riders will use different roads in the City of Kigali and other provinces. We appeal to spectators and road users to ensure the race ends safely,” Senior Supt. Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, the spokesperson for Traffic and Road Safety Department, said.
“During the days of the cycling competition, some routes will be busy and temporarily reserved for riders, which will affect the traffic flow. Motorists are urged to use alternative roads or if not in a hurry, to patiently wait until roads are accessible again. Our traffic police officers will be at all junctions to facilitate you,” he added.
He appealed them to keep reasonable distance from the road, hold children to prevent them from wandering in the road and avoid littering the road which could cause an accident.
“The competition attracts unusual excitement especially in busy centres along the routes and arrival points… support responsibly while minding your safety as well as the safety of the riders.”
Previous competitions were incident-free and SSP Ndushabandi said that “we expect the same spirit and partnership to ensure a smooth competition.” (End)