In the wake of persistent road accidents across the country, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has unveiled a raft of measures to curb the escalating menace.
Appearing before parliamentarians on Thursday, August 14, the CS announced the government's intention to overhaul the vehicle inspection process.
Chirchir noted that the Ministry of Transport was on the verge of implementing new regulations to license more inspection entities and eradicate unroadworthy vehicles from the roads.
According to the CS, vehicle inspection should not be the exclusive mandate of the national government, adding that licensing more vehicle inspectors would help reduce the rate of accidents.
"We are working on a policy where the inspection of vehicles should not be a preserve of the national government," Chirchir told the lawmakers.
He added, "We are working on regulations which will allow inspections to be licensed and carried out by those who are licensed in every corner of the country, so that we get unroadworthy vehicles off the roads."
To further enhance road safety along major highways, the Transport CS announced plans to construct resting zones for long-distance truck drivers.
During the meeting, Chirchir acknowledged situations where some motorists, particularly truck drivers, drove for too long without enough rest, exacerbating the chances of accidents.
"We have situations where drivers are driving for more hours than would otherwise be the case. We have regulations which we are bringing into the house in due course to create resting places for lorries along the highways," Chirchir noted.
While calling for caution by all road users, Chirchir also announced plans to deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) along major roads to enhance safety and efficiency.
Additionally, the CS stated that he convened a meeting with the Kenya Road Cross to map out all black spots across the country and propose necessary measures to curb further road carnage in the specific spots.
Meanwhile, CS Chirchir's latest announcement comes on the back of a series of road accidents, with the latest data by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicating a total of 2,933 fatalities reported between January and August 10 this year.
