NTSA to work with counties in new road safety drive
Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana with County Police Commander Joseph Napeiyan during the launch of the NTSA road safety campaign in Wote. PHOTO | PIUS MAUNDU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Almost 3,000 Kenyans die on roads every year.
- Makueni is among the counties that register the highest number of fatalities on roads.
The National Transport and Safety Authority will work with county governments in its latest strategy to tame road carnage.
The agency will create and work with grassroots teams called transport and safety committees to reduce the accidents which claim almost 3,000 lives every year.
“We will work with about 20 counties that lead in road accidents,” Mr Duncan Kibogong, the deputy director in charge of safety strategies at NTSA, said in Wote, Makueni County during the launch of the drive on Tuesday.
CEREMONY
The ceremony was attended by Governor Kivutha Kibwana, Makueni County Police Commander Joseph Napeiyan and County traffic chief Ezra Ouma.
According to the law, members of the county transport and safety committee include the county commissioner, the transport executive and the county police chief.
They will be in the new committee.
Other members will be the county director of health, two people appointed by the governor, two others appointed by NTSA and one person nominated by operators of public service vehicles.
The committees will be expected to develop and implement programmes on reducing road accidents.
“Importantly, the county committees will educate the public on road safety,” Dr Kibogong said.
The panels are also supposed to designate the areas and hours of operation of boda bodas.
BEHAVIOUR
The decision, Dr Kibogong added, was informed by the realisation that transport as a function was shared by the county and national governments.
“We need to work together because road safety is everyone’s responsibility. We need to change the behaviour of drivers, passengers and other road users,” Dr Kibogong said.
NTSA chose Makueni as a launch pad for the campaign because it is among the top five counties that register the highest number of road fatalities, he said.
HAILED
Out of the 2, 919 accidents registered in Kenya last year, 148 occurred in Makueni, according to NTSA. Nairobi recorded deaths.
The fact that a long section of the Nairobi-Mombasa road passes through Makueni partly explains the high number of accidents.
Prof Kibwana hailed the NTSA strategy, saying it would reduce road carnage.
“We are committed to working with NTSA and security agencies in reducing accidents in Makueni,” the county boss said.
