By David Ohito

Also see "Harsh traffic laws proposed in new Bill"

The Cabinet has approved the amendment of the Traffic Act  and proposed stiffer fines in a bid to curb road carnage.

The proposed amendments are geared towards dealing with traffic offenses which account for 25 percent of accidents in the country.

The proposals came hot on the heels of a proposal by Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo for harsher penalties that would return sobriety to Kenyan roads.

The cabinet met on a week in which over 20 lives were lost in separate accidents along Kisumu- Kericho highway and another 11 on the Nairobi Murang’a highway.

In the fresh proposals, Cabinet sitting on Thursday under President Kibaki’s chair sought to increase tenfold traffic offences fines. 

“A first conviction on reckless driving will attract a fine of100,000 shillings or imprisonment for two years or both.  A second conviction on the same offence will attract a fine of 300,000 shillings and or imprisonment for a year or disqualification from driving for a period of two years,” read cabinet brief sent to newsrooms.

The amendments will review the registration and licensing of motor vehicles and the issuance of driving licenses. 

The proposals seek to deal with the failure of a driver to produce a driving license, driving
beyond the stipulated speed limit, driving under the influence of alcohol and causing death from reckless driving.

The traffic amendments will also deal with the issue of unroadworthy vehicles, punishment for hit and run drivers and the fraudulent issuance
of motor vehicle documents.

The proposed amendments should help bring order to public service transportation and general order from all motorists. 

In this regard, all PSV license holders will undergo a mandatory retesting after every two years.

Cabinet directed the Minister for Internal Security to stamp out corruption on the roads and directed that the number of road blocks be reduced in conformity to EAC rules. 

There should also be an enforcement of weigh bridge regulations as agreed under the EAC Protocol.

“Steps will also be taken to ensure the security and safety of passengers especially in regard to Probox vehicles and boda bodas,” the statement from State House said.

The Cabinet is also proposing an integrated transport management system to be put in place.