The local population accepted the robots enthusiastically. An editorial writer, Sam Sturgis, acknowledged the benefits the robots bring to managing traffic but also raised concerns that they may take attention away from the issue of uncontrolled urban expansion on the outskirts of the city. Brian Sokol, a photographer for Panos Pictures, observed, "People on the streets seem to obey the robots in a way that they don't obey human traffic officers at busy intersections in Kinshasa."
