Nyayo Stadium footbridge /HANDOUT
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on Thursday intensified its crackdown on pedestrians who ignore designated footbridges, arresting 45 people for crossing the road instead of using the Nyayo Stadium footbridge in Nairobi.
The pedestrians were arrested during an enforcement operation targeting individuals who crossed the busy highway at undesignated points, despite the presence of a footbridge.
According to NTSA, those arrested will face charges under the Traffic Act (Cap. 403) for crossing at undesignated locations and willfully obstructing the free flow of traffic. The offences attract fines upon conviction.
The authority said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to improve road safety and reduce the number of pedestrian deaths on Kenyan roads. Pedestrians account for approximately 38 per cent of all road traffic fatalities in the country, making them the single largest group of road users killed in crashes.
Thursday's operation comes just two days after NTSA arrested and arraigned 22 pedestrians accused of failing to use the Allsops footbridge along Thika Road.
The authority said those pedestrians were also charged with obstructing the free flow of traffic after crossing the highway instead of using the designated pedestrian crossing facility.
NTSA, the National Police Service (NPS) and the Nairobi City
County government are conducting the enforcement exercise jointly.
"The Authority, in collaboration with the National Police Service and the Nairobi City County, will continue educating pedestrians on safe road use," NTSA said.
The persistent habit of pedestrians ignoring footbridges and crossing busy highways at street level has become a growing road safety concern in Kenya, contributing to a significant number of preventable accidents and fatalities.
Despite billions of shillings invested in the construction of pedestrian footbridges along major roads, many people continue to take shortcuts through speeding traffic, often just metres away from designated crossing points.
Road safety experts attribute the behaviour to a combination of factors, including impatience, poorly designed or inconveniently located footbridges, inadequate lighting, concerns over personal security and a lack of public awareness about the dangers of crossing highways at undesignated points.
Some pedestrians have also complained that certain footbridges are difficult to access, particularly for the elderly, persons with disabilities and those carrying heavy loads.
Safety advocates, however, argue that enforcement alone will not solve the problem.
They have called for better-designed and well-maintained footbridges, improved lighting and security, barrier fencing to discourage jaywalking and sustained public education campaigns to encourage safer road-use behaviour.
