Pkosing: Motorists ruin road furniture, tax their insurance

Transport Committee chairman David Pkosing is contemplating a law to impose a levy on motor insurance for funding the maintenance of road furniture.

The Pokot South MP said as much as roads agencies are responsible for the maintenance, motorists are equally to blame for the destruction of road signage and other installations.

He argued that motorists are the ones destroying road furniture through careless driving and driving on pavements, where they run down road furniture.

Pkosing told the Star that since Kenyans have proven to be careless, it is high time the insurance levy was introduced.

“We should have responsibility on both sides. Why would someone drive on a pavement and destroy furniture?”

The arrangement will be so that for every car that pays insurance, the insurer will deduct the levy, and remit the same for specifically maintaining the furniture.

“After a vehicle is involved in an accident, one’s car is repaired by insurance. The question is: who repairs the road?” the MP asked.

“I will, therefore, introduce an insurance levy fund for maintaining road furniture,” the MP said. “The insurance levy will specifically go to road furniture.”

He said Kenyan roads should be maintained to the standards similar to the country’s airports, where there are clear markings on how people, vehicles and other motorised transport means operate.

The MP said it is unfortunate that even roads within the capital city, including those passing near key government offices, have no proper furniture and markings.

“Parliament, which is the seat of power, has a horrible road nearby, the same being the case of roads near City Hall, Harambee Avenue and even Thika Road. Even markings on Ngong Road, which was made the other day, are already deteriorating,” Pkosing said.

The lawmaker said rundown road furniture should be marked and replaced after three months, and in worst-case scenario, in six months.

“A busy road like Mombasa Road should be maintained every three months and fitted with lane reflectors.”

Pkosing said much as the agencies could be marking the roads, the rate at which they wear out is higher, hence the need for constant monitoring.

And for posterity, he said the road furniture should be part of the contract assigned for the construction of roads.

“That should be part of the contract. It is fundamental. Road markings are not something that can be debated. It should be a condition for issue of contracts,” the MP said.

He added the final certificate, normally raised at the tail end of works, must include the status of road furniture and, where applicable, a strategy of how to maintain them.

The MP emphasised that the time has come to educate the public on the dangers of vandalism on infrastructure furniture.

Edited by T Jalio