- Statistics by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicate more than 1,200 people have died and tens of others wounded in separate accidents in the past three months alone.
- Most of these accidents according to NTSA have been caused by poor behavior among Kenyan drivers.
Image: Handout
The government has been urged to pay attention to rogue drivers causing accidents as part of efforts to address the menace.
Statistics by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicate more than 1,200 people have died and tens of others wounded in separate accidents in the past three months alone.
Most of these accidents according to NTSA have been caused by poor behavior among Kenyan drivers.
Road safety crusader Nazir Jinnah says more must be done to save lives by, among other things, cracking the whip at rogue drivers of public service vehicles (PSVs).
While he has welcomed the renewed effort by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to restore sanity on the roads, Jinnah said “more action than words is needed”.
He has decried that the country is losing thousands of lives unnecessarily to road accidents, which translates to lost family support systems and human resources.
Jinnah asked in a statement that the government takes a keen interest in vehicle manufacturers' specifications.
“The conversion of Nissan and Toyota eight-passenger vans into 14-passenger vehicles without adhering to safety and reliability standards has proven to be a deadly practice, leading to devastating carnage and loss of innocent lives on Kenyan roads,” he said.
Image: HANDOUT
He pointed out that by converting vans to carry and load more passengers than intended, the emergency stoppage capacity is severely compromised, leaving vehicles unable to respond effectively in critical situations.
“Moreover, the imbalance caused by overloading disrupts the vehicle's stability, increasing the risk of collision, accidents and fatalities,” he added.
“What makes this tragedy even more distressing is the fact that other countries such as South Africa utilizing similar popular vans adhere strictly to a maximum eight-passenger capacity. While these countries prioritize safety and compliance with manufacturer specifications, Kenya's failure to do so has resulted in a disproportionately high number of fatalities on its roads.”
He added that “not anything about road bumps or speed governors or even traffic speed cameras will help reduce road carnage. However, the continued prevalence of illegal van conversions and their deadly consequences highlight the urgent need for accountability and action”.
He has asked President William Ruto to intervene and ensure there is no further loss of lives on roads.
“It is imperative for the government to immediately crack down on illegal conversions and enforce compliance with safety regulations,” he said.
“Additionally, investing in public awareness campaigns and education initiatives is crucial to empower drivers and passengers with the knowledge to make safer choices on the roads.”
Among the measures announced by Murkomen include the temporary ban on NTSA to issue new PSV operator routes and mandatory inspection of all vehicles providing public transport services.
Another directive is that school transportation should be done between 6am and 7pm.