The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has announced plans to implement several stringent measures to enhance road user safety.
Speaking on Thursday, March 13, during the Quarterly Knowledge Sharing Forum on Road Safety Practices in Kenya, NTSA Director Andrew Kiplagat revealed that the Authority had begun reviewing the Traffic Act to incorporate several changes.
He noted that NTSA was working jointly with other relevant authorities, including the National Police Service (NPS), to amend the Traffic Act to address the country’s ongoing road safety challenges.
According to Kiplagat, key areas of focus include curbing speeding by motorists, tackling drunk driving, and enforcing the mandatory use of helmets by cyclists.
“I am happy that NTSA is working together with partners to review the Traffic Act, targeting risk factors such as speeding, drink-driving, and the use of helmets,” Kiplagat revealed.
He went on to add, “The biggest contributors to road accidents are pedestrians and motorcyclists. Together, they account for about 72 per cent of road carnage.”
While highlighting overspeeding as a major contributor to accidents, Kiplagat emphasised that strong legislation on speeding would immensely help reduce road carnages, particularly those involving pedestrians.
“We need strong legislation to support enforcement because what can help reduce road accidents is enforcement, and the police cannot carry it out effectively without robust laws,” the NTSA boss reiterated.
The new proposal comes barely a month after the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, held a meeting with NTSA Director General George Njao on the enforcement of traffic laws in the country.
The two met on February 18 to discuss areas of collaboration in achieving the shared objective of a safe, reliable, and efficient transport system.
During the meeting, IG Kanja announced the police service's plans to automate services, including the use of static traffic cameras and instant fines, to enhance transparency and efficiency.
Kanja acknowledged the strong partnership between the NPS and NTSA and affirmed that the Service is making every effort to curb reckless driving and impunity in line with the law to prevent road accidents.
