This move follows the removal of subsidies introduced during the economic challenges posed by Covid-19.

Announcing the development, the Minister of Infrastructure, Dr. Jimmy Gasore, stated, "It will require that the existing technology used in buses be supplemented with additional machines."

In the traditional Single Fare system in Rwanda, passengers swiped a card once and paid a fixed amount for the entire journey. The proposed shift to a distance-based model is seen as a means to benefit passengers, especially after the government’s financial contribution was terminated.

Dr. Gasore emphasized, "Paying for miles traveled by a person is something that can help travelers a lot that was thought of when the contribution of the government was stopped."

Karasira Willy from Centrika, a technology provider involved in the transition, affirmed that it could be done on the road in Rwanda because they have already built it.

Dr. Gasore discussed two possible methods for implementing the distance-based fare system. One involves charging passengers per kilometer traveled, using a predetermined cost per kilometer.

The other method incorporates a setup fee calculated before the journey, combined with the regular per-kilometer charge. Dr. Gasore stressed, "If a person goes to a certain place and does not clean again, he will be charged for the whole journey."

Testing of the new system is expected to begin on specific routes before a widespread rollout, particularly targeting inter-province travel.