The lethargy that assails institutions charged with road safety has to be shed off. A time has come that Kenyans must say enough is enough and endeavour to seek ways of making our roads safe. Accidents have continued to claim lives not because they cannot be tamed, but for want of trying. Between December 1 and today, 180 people have died in accidents.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has set the ball rolling, outlining measures that will ensure our killer roads become safe. No doubt, Dr Matiang'i has demonstrated over time that he is a man with plenty of resolve; that once he sets his mind to anything, he sees it to its logical conclusion. His tenure at the Education ministry is ample proof of that, all the more reason why Kenyans now put their hopes on him to end this road madness in Kenya.
As a demonstration of intent, Matiang'i has ordered the revocation of all driving schools' licences across the country, the suspension of temporary licences for matatus this festive season and also put reckless drivers on notice that they will be charged with murder in cases of fatal accidents. The mushrooming of driving schools that fail to observe the safety aspect while training drivers in part contribute to the poor road culture among drivers. Not surprisingly, many of these driving schools do not have qualified and approved driving instructors; they are purely business ventures.
NTSA needs to maintain a permanent presence that is proactive as opposed to reactive, ending in knee-jerk reactions that merely last a couple of days then fizzle out. Instant, punitive measures for errant drivers that leave no room for mischief should be enforced. A recent crackdown on PSV’s in Machakos County highlighted the ignorance among members of public who demanded that despite the vehicles they were travelling in having been confirmed to be risks, they demanded to be allowed to complete their journeys in the same jalopies.
When travellers are forced to experience inconveniences because of safety checks, at some point they will start making demands on drivers and PSV operators about their vehicles’ compatibility to road regulations at the start of a journey. When that happens, road deaths will be drastically reduced. However, focus should not just be on drivers; public awareness campaigns need to be conducted periodically.
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