NTSA has banned night travel for Public Service Vehicles till further notice after the latest accident in Salgaa claimed 36 lives.
Director General Francis Mejja said all travelling will be between 6 am and 7 pm.
"Over the recent past, our records indicate that majority of crashes are occurring during the night and in order to review the effectiveness of the current measures in place to improve road safety, the authority in consultation with other relevant government agencies suspends night travels for all distance public service vehicles from December 31st,” a joint statement with the police traffic department read.
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The Salgaa accident involved a truck and bus. It happened at Migaa area around 3.30am.
The bus was travelling towards Nakuru and investigations indicate that the driver left his lane and collided with the oncoming trailer.
"The trailer, KBK 907C and bus KCC 003A belonging to Nairobi Bus Corporation crashed between Sanchangwan and Salgaa centres," NTSA said.
Several other people are receiving treatment in Molo and Nakuru hospitals.
More than 100 people have perished in the area this month alone.
The 14 kilometre stretch on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway has become synonymous with gruesome accidents that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who is also the Vice Chairman of Transport and Infrastructure in Parliament said he will push for a motion to have enforcement of laws on the road returned to the police.
"As the Vice Chair of the Transport and Infrastructure committee in the National Assembly, I will drive the move to return enforcement work to the National Police Service. Can we agree to go back to bans on PSV night travel for the next 6 months as we make the necessary changes? May the Salgaa victims rest in peace." Kuria said.
Kuria said NTSA has been overwhelmed with the enforcement while its core mandate was policy and standards planning adding that other bodies in the country are not delivering in their mandate.
"Let us get serious. We cant keep blaming the devil for these accidents. Our drivers are reckless. Period. And we let the foot off the pedestal as far as Michuki rules are concerned. Who checks the seatbelts and speed governors? What is TLB doing? Does KEBS even check on the mechanical soundness of these vehicles? But the beginning point is where did the rains start beating us?" he posted on his official Page.
" NTSA was supposed to be a policy and standards organ. The work of enforcement belongs to the police. I think someone in the past got over ambitious or maybe they fell in love with the alcoblow. NTSA is hopelessly understaffed to carry out enforcement. And it is not even their job in the first place."
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