• Hundreds of vehicles impounded for flouting traffic regulations.
• Police boss says such surprise crackdowns will be intensified as the festive season approaches to protect road users from rogue drivers.
Motorists plying the Thika-Garissa highway have been cautioned of surprise crackdowns before and during Christmas and New Year festivities.
Eastern Regional police commander Lydia Ligami on Tuesday said the unannounced traffic swoops are meant to deter rush hour road accidents during the festive season that usually claim many lives.
The regional police boss spoke to the media after she led a day-long crackdown in which hundreds of public service vehicles plying that route were impounded for violating traffic regulations.
Some of the vehicles that were seized during the operation at Kanyonyoo in Kitui West subcounty were found to be defective, speeding, overloaded or did not have the proper documentation.
The drivers of the impounded vehicles would be held and arraigned as the vehicles are detained at the Kanyonyoo police station, Ligami said.
Police officers had teamed up with the National Transport and Safety Authority personnel in the impromptu crackdown that inconvenienced travellers headed to or from Nairobi, Garissa, Kitui and Mwingi.
Ligami said that such surprise crackdowns will be intensified as the festive season approaches to protect road users from rogue drivers.
“We have opted to start this operation early enough to ensure all the vehicles plying that route are in good condition to prevent accidents during this festive season,” she said.
The regional boss lamented that recently, a number of lives were lost on the busy highway due to reckless driving.
“We are keen no to allow carelessness to continue killing our people on this road. All drivers must abide by the traffic rules to avoid a brush with the law."
At the same time, Ligami expressed concern over the sweeping away of vehicles by floods advised drivers to desist from attempting to cross seasonal rivers.
Edited by R.Wamochie