Rwanda is known as ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’, so from time-to-time you’re going to want transport to help you get up them. The capital city itself, Kigali, is built on a number of steep slopes and although it’s a small city, the winding roads aren’t always easy to navigate without assistance.
The three main forms of transport, cheapest first, are:
Government or Private Taxi Bus
Confusingly for Western tourists, often abbreviated to just ‘taxi’. These are the main form of public transport in Kigali and comprise of the privately owned and the government owned.
The government taxi buses are relatively new and are generally big, spacious and painted white. They only tend to cover the main bus routes such as Remera to town but they are much more comfortable.
Private taxi buses all look similar as well, only much smaller and usually with a yellow line along the middle. They open with sliding doors and offer a much more intimate experience as four people squeeze onto a row and squash up tight to let more people on.
Both buses cost the same and you can get from the outskirts of town, such as Nyamirambo, Remera or Gikondo for around FRW 150-180 (£0.20/$0.30). It’s best to avoid taxi buses on weekday evenings from around 5:30pm-7pm when rush hour in town can get extremely hectic.
Public Motorbike (Moto)
The next cheapest ride is by public motorbike, or ‘moto’. This seems intimidating at first as they’re an unknown form of mass transport in most Western countries and health & safety isn’t always well observed. If you’re going to go for it, it’s best just to get on and not to think about it. Remember to put on the helmet which is a legal requirement. It’s also considered polite to hold on to the back rail, not the driver.
On the up-side, they are an extremely efficient form of transport that can take you door-to-door anywhere in the city. Just be absolutely sure to agree two things before you get on:
- The driver knows where you’re going (if they look at all unsure they probably don’t).
- You have agreed the price.
Only ever get on a moto if the driver is wearing a green helmet with a yellow number on the back and an ASSETAMORWA green jacket – these belong to the moto union and are officially insured against accidents. If you experience any problems you can identify the driver by the number on the back of his helmet.
A moto from the outskirts: Gikondo, Nyamirambo or Kisimenti should cost around FRW 7-800 (£0.95/$1.50) though often they charge tourists FRW 1,000 ("igihumbi"), be prepared to shake your head and argue over price.
To get the attention of a moto it is customary to put your clenched fist in the air then open and close it quickly whilst hissing through your teeth: ‘ssssss’. This is a perfectly acceptable way of attracting a ride.
If the driver starts to go too fast, simply say: "bahoro, bahoro" to tell them to slow down.
Rwandan Car Taxi
An actual car taxi is the most expensive form of transport in Rwanda and it is often very hard to tell if the taxi is a real taxi or somebody willing to give you a lift.
When you arrive at the airport taxis will be available outside, however there is now a standard charge of between FRW 3-5,000 (£6/$8.80) even if you are only going ten minutes up the road to Kisimenti.
Again, always agree the price before you get in to the taxi. Few of them have seatbelts in the back and although it is okay to accept non-official taxi rides with a friend, if you are not 100% sure that it is an official taxi, don’t get in on your own, best to wait for another one.
A taxi from Gikondo, Remera or Nyamirambo to town will cost you in the region of FRW 4,000 (£4.80/$7).
For up-to-date exchange rates, try XE.com
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