Since October 27, the city of Kinshasa has been experiencing alternating traffic at certain times of the day. For the authorities, it is a question of trying to find a solution to the monster traffic jams which regularly paralyze the capital of the DRC. Although these new measures were launched in the middle of the school holidays, Kinshasa residents have been aware of the real change for a week now, with results that are still mixed.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Paulina Zidi
Alternating traffic with one-way roads, police officers at different intersections: for more than three weeks, the face of Kinshasa has been transformed from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Objective for the authorities: to facilitate traffic towards the economic center in the morning and exit towards the residential areas in the evening.
On the government side, we already believe we can see positive impacts. A government source confirms that the experimental measure will continue and even be expanded with more separation barriers in order to force Kinshasa drivers to follow these measures. “ For this system to work 100%, everyone must follow the instructions », Adds the RFI source.
For users, opinions are more mixed: some actually mention a reduced travel time in the morning, but others highlight the increased risk of accidents, especially for pedestrians, and traffic that has become impossible in several neighborhoods, notably on the Gombe side or on the airport road. Other consequences for some: transport prices are increasing.
Also readDRC: authorities take measures to ease traffic congestion in Kinshasa
As a reminder, on June 22, 2024, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) launched construction work on ring roads to form a 63-kilometer road around Kinshasa.