Collaboration can help achieve safety on our highways

A wreckage of one of two trailers which collided head on at Salgaa near Molo River Bridge along Nakuru-Eldoret Higway. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard]

Sustainable transport and efficient use of safe public transportation, rethinking and shifting to non-motorised modes that protect vulnerable road users is picking momentum globally.

According to the World Health Organisation, road traffic crashes account for most deaths of children and adults aged five to 29, globally. In Kenya, crash data points to the fact that vulnerable road users including pedestrians, motorcyclists and pillion passengers are most affected. This calls for urgent interventions.

Coordination at all levels of government and private sector is critical. A long-term vision and strategy both at the national and county level, mainstreaming of road safety practices across all sectors may facilitate reductions in fatalities and serious injuries.

Effective road safety management will require involvement and investment by all stakeholders in the safe system approach. The five pillars under this approach relate to safer road users, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speed, and post-crash management.

Guided by four principles, the approach argues that people make mistakes, people are vulnerable, we must all share responsibility and all parts of the system need to be strengthened. The approach requires all elements in the road transport sector to align and work together to ultimately prevent crashes or reduce severity of injuries. The approach is focused on finding solutions throughout the system in addition to deliberate behavior change among road users.

Countries that have adopted the safe system and complemented it with the Social Model approach that advocates public policy, community approach, organisational response, interpersonal and personal functions have gained positive impact.

The benefits stretch from going beyond sharing responsibly to repositioning road safety as part of business practices, cultural changes that aid continuous efforts such that road safety becomes a way of life.

In both approaches, emphasis has been placed on stakeholder collaboration in policy development and participation of communities. Collaborative efforts between the national and county governments is critical in incubating road safety practices at the community level. County governments have a role in supporting road safety programmes through establishing the County Transport and Safety Committees (CTSCs). NTSA is working with the Council of Governors towards activation of CTSCs in all counties.

The functions of CTSC includes advising NTSA on matters affecting road transport system, submitting reports on safety, reliability, and efficiency. Importantly, they form a critical link between the national government and county governments in management and improvement of road safety.

The CTSC will also help in domesticating the national Usalama Barabarani agenda within counties and the communities. The EU supports a pilot programme to facilitate the development of County Specific Road Safety Action Plans (CSRSAP) within six counties namely; Nairobi, Nakuru, Kericho, Kakamega, Kisumu and Makueni.

The writer is the Director General at the National Transport and Safety Authority