Union wants State to probe foreign drivers

By WILLIS OKETCH

Kenya Long Distance?Truck Drivers and Allied Workers Union officials want the Government to investigate claims that foreign drivers cause most road accidents.

The Union’s Mombasa branch Deputy Secretary, Roma Waema, said drivers from Somali and Tanzania have no respect for local traffic laws.

Mr Waema said the drivers in question disappear from the accident scenes whenever they occur.

Waema said owners of trucks who did not want to pay Kenyan drivers well employed those from neighbouring countries.

Coast Provincial Traffic Officer Joshua Omukatta promised to follow up the concerns raised by the union.

Mr Omukatta concurred with the official that most foreign drivers who were involved in accidents in the country disappear from the scenes and return to their country a without trace. He said fatigue among drivers who work for long hours was another cause of accidents.

“Unless the employers stop sending drivers money through M-Pesa even when they are tired, we would still have many accidents,” said Waema.

He suggested the formation of a committee in every county to subject new drivers to defensive safety driving course like Bamburi Cement Factory and Bayusuf Brothers.

Waema noted drivers from Bamburi Cement Factory were known to be accident free because of safety driving training they go through before being allowed to drive company vehicles.

He also cited corruption among police officers as a major cause of accidents.

Waema regretted some unroadworthy trucks and buses were operating in various parts of the country.

The unionist complained trucks were operating with fake number plates without being detected by the traffic police officers.

He said?most truck owners buy new trucks but fail to apply for new number plates and use old ones on the new vehicles. Omukatta promised to act on the issue.

Waema suggested traffic police in Mombasa should deal with the trucks before they leave the port for upcountry and neighbouring countries.

Waema also said overloaded trucks are a major cause of accidents, and should be addressed.

Omukatta said the police had no control of overloaded vehicles because they had no machines to detect such an anomaly.