Speed Cameras Introduced on Nairobi Expressway

An image of one of the electronic speed cameras mounted along the Nairobi expressway.jpg
An image of one of the electronic speed cameras mounted along the Nairobi expressway.
Photo
Sango Doc

Motorists caught speeding on the Nairobi Expressway will not be allowed to exit unless they are cleared by the traffic police officers manning the elevated highway.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Monday, November 14, Moja Expressway Head of Public Relations Jeanne May Ongiyo confirmed that automatic speed cameras have been erected at several points along the roadway.

Ongiyo stated that the project was by the National Police Service (NPS) traffic police to curb speeding on the 27-kilometre overpass.

An image of one of the electronic speed cameras mounted along the Nairobi expressway (1).jpg
A collage of the expressway and an image of one of the electronic speed cameras mounted along the Nairobi expressway.
File

"Yes, there are speed cameras along various points of the expressway which are operated by the traffic police. They measure the speed of the vehicle against the number plate.

"The information is then sent to the traffic command centre. Traffic officers along the roadway will then administer a punishment they deem fit, whether a verbal warning or issue a fine," she explained.

A photo captured by motorists along the Westlands - Museum hill stretch showed that three cameras are mounted on one of the street lighting polls.

There is a lower board containing a sticker on the recommended speed limit and an electronic display of the speed captured by the guns.

A figure within the limits is displayed in green while any numbers above are in red. The maximum speed limit on the Expressway is 80 kilometres per hour.

The decision to mount speed monitors on the 27-km stretch drew mixed reactions, with some Kenyans lauding the move as the burden of proof to punish offenders had now been addressed.

"One time I drove on the expressway at 120km/h and still there were cars passing me," one user wrote. "We shall not be cowed," another Kenyan wrote.

The new developments came amid the rising cases of speeding reported on the expressway in past months.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) listed speeding among the leading causes of road accidents in the country. 

The Traffic Act recommends a fine or conviction of anyone found guilty of flouting speed limits guidelines. Multiple convictions warrant suspension of driving licenses for at least three years.

"A person who violates a speed limit prescribed for a road by more than 20 kph is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than three months or a fine of not less than Ksh20,000," the Act reads.

The Nairobi East toll station of Nairobi Expressway.
The Nairobi East toll station of Nairobi Expressway.
Daily Nation
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