•The opposition team said the high level of ignorance among road users, from drivers to pedestrians, needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
•The opposition thus wants the government to come up with a solid plan of action to reduce deaths on the roads.
Image: HANDOUT
Opposition top guns have castigated the government over knee-jerk responses to widespread road carnage.
The leaders said the concerned authorities should instead enforce behaviour change among road users.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi said the Transport Ministry owes the country “decisive decisions aimed at behaviour change on the roads.”
“This is the root cause of road accidents. What we have today is a failed reactionary system,” Wandayi said.
He scorned pedestrians crossing highways and major streets in total disregard of road signs and lights.
“The ministry must enforce the rule that pedestrians cross streets only at designated spots. Pedestrians must also be made to wear bright clothing when walking or cycling at night,” Wandayi said.
Among the behaviours the opposition wants to be checked include speeding, rampant bribery, breach of barrier line, drunk driving and driving when fatigued.
“We need a clear, well-thought-out and sustainable plan by the Ministry of Transport and the National Police Traffic department to reduce deaths on the roads,” Wandayi said.
The opposition team said the high level of ignorance among road users, from drivers to pedestrians, needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
To deal with fatigue, Azimio advised that the Ministry of Transport should begin putting up installations where motorists can take regular breaks along the highways.
Azimio said the situation of road accidents has been exacerbated by widespread corruption by officials charged with enforcing road safety rules and regulations.
The opposition thus wants the government to come up with a solid plan of action to reduce deaths on the roads.
“Running to the scene of a bad road accident is not a plan of action. Time has proven that mounting predictable roadblocks to check alcoholism or speeding by drivers does not work,” Wandayi said.
“Unleashing police and NTSA on the roads count for nothing if all the officers do is collect bribes from road users for real or imagined offences.”
As such, the lawmaker said the government need to work with Kenyans to ensure vehicles on the roads are roadworthy, motorists adhere to traffic rules and culprits are barred from getting away with bribes.
“The Ministry of Transport must circulate all over the country how road users can report reckless drivers and corrupt police officers in real-time,” Wandayi said.
“More often than not, we see drivers whose conducts endanger other road users but we have no option but to tolerate them.”
The opposition also wants the government through the Transport and Roads Ministry to improve the road infrastructure and replace vandalised signages.
“Speed limit signs and all other signs needed to avert accidents must immediately be displayed at regular intervals across all roads in the country," Wandayi said.
"Many times one can drive for kilometres without seeing any signs that there is a sharp corner, a bump or a roundabout coming up.”
In particular, the opposition team wants the government to come up with a plan of action to end deaths on Mombasa Road.
“The entire road has become a black spot yet all the Ministry of Transport and the National Police do is report the deaths.”
The opposition wants NTSA compelled to report to the country the common causes of accidents and steps it has taken to stop their recurrence.
“Actions taken on drivers, for instance, the one that caused the death of the KU students must be shared with the public to serve as a deterrence,” Wandayi said.
NTSA data shows that since the year began, more than 700 people have died in various forms of road accidents.
The number has since grown, the latest being Tuesday when one student was killed in an accident involving a bus that was carrying Chavakali Boys High School students.
Ten people died while 11 were injured in an accident at Salama on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
About two weeks ago, 11 Kenyatta University students died while travelling to Mombasa for a study tour.
Last year, more than 4,300 people were killed in road accidents while the rest – from the 22,885 that were involved in accidents, were left with life-changing injuries.
The opposition said the prevailing situation where "institutions charged with critical responsibilities for safety seem satisfied with merely sharing data with the public" must be mitigated.