Railway crossing was a disaster in waiting

What you need to know:

  • The Umoinner Sacco matatus, indeed like all Eastlands matatus, are serial offenders.
  • Even the punitive Traffic Amendment Act 2012 — which stipulates that anyone who causes death by careless driving be handed a life sentence — has not helped the situation.

Both the police and the public have always known that the way matatus are driven across the Mutindwa railway crossing was a disaster waiting to happen.

Wednesday, it happened and at least 12 people lost their lives.

Although the crossing is manned by at least three traffic police officers from Buruburu every morning and evening, matatu drivers flout the Highway Code and all other known traffic laws with impunity.

The Umoinner Sacco matatus, indeed like all Eastlands matatus, are serial offenders.

They think following the law is a waste of time. For them, driving on walkways, overlapping and obstructing oncoming drivers is the norm. On Monday, a female passenger complained over the manner in which a matatu was overlapping but a tout retorted: “This bus cost Sh4.7 million.

It is not meant to stop but to keep moving.”

Although the buses rarely carry excess passengers, some of the drivers are so lawless that they would run over a traffic officer if he dared stand in their way.

Even the punitive Traffic Amendment Act 2012 — which stipulates that anyone who causes death by careless driving be handed a life sentence — has not helped the situation. The temporary structures built at the crossing also make it difficult for drivers to see trains approaching the intersection.

Loud music from matatus, make it harder for the drivers to hear the sound of train engines.