A Rwandan based Electric motorcycle company, Spiro, has announced that it plans to double battery swap stations to cater for the high demand.
The new changes, according to Spiro, are a response to complaints from motorcycle taxi operators who spend hours queuing to charge, which significantly disrupts their work.
The move comes after Moto taxi operators said the delays were cutting into their daily earnings and affecting customer confidence in electric motorcycles.
Speaking to Taarifa, Emmanuel Kwizera, a moto taxi operator, said the time spent waiting for fully charged batteries was hurting their livelihoods.
“We spend too much time at electric stations waiting for batteries. The queues are very long, and the time we waste there is time we should be using to make money,” Kwizera said.
He added that in some cases, riders were forced to remain at the stations for hours, with some even falling asleep while waiting for battery swaps.
Another rider, Jean d’Amour Musabyimana, urged Spiro management to explore alternative solutions to ease congestion, warning that customers often abandon rides when they encounter long queues.
“Sometimes we arrive with customers expecting to quickly swap a battery and continue the trip, but when customers see the long queue, they leave. In the end, we lose money,” Musabyimana said.
“If the problem is electricity, they should look for other charging options to maintain their clientele.”
Responding to the concerns, Spiro’s Country manager, Felix Rubanda, told Taarifa that the congestion was largely driven by increased demand during the festive season and that the situation is now being addressed.
“During the festive season, we experienced high traffic at our stations, but the situation is now under control,” Felix said.
“We are increasing the number of battery swap stations across the country and distributing more batteries at existing stations to improve convenience for riders.”
According to the company, Spiro plans to expand its battery swap network from 500 to 1,000 stations, a move expected to significantly reduce waiting times and improve service reliability for motorcycle taxi operators.
The expansion is aimed at strengthening confidence in electric motorcycles as a sustainable and efficient transport option, while ensuring riders can operate without disruptions caused by battery shortages.
Spiro operates in 30 districts across the country.
