Members of Parliament have asked the government to take action to address the recent surge in road accidents in the country ahead of the Christmas festivities.
This follows a motion moved by Marsabit MP Naomi Waqo calling on the National Transport and Safety Authority to ensure that all vehicles on the road are road worthy.
Waqo in her motion argues that there has been an alarming surge in road accidents in the recent past resulting in loss of life, injuries and the damage to properties.
The MP noted that NTSA has not effectively and fully performed its functions of regulating safe and reliable transport service especially in dealing with public service vehicles.
“Poor maintenance of motor vehicles and a lack of proper regulation are leading contributors to the marked increase in road accidents,” Waqo said.
The motion urged the House to resolve that, the government through the Ministry of Roads and Transport undertakes a comprehensive overhaul of the transportation sector.
This, the motion argues, is to provide for proper regulation of the sector and ensure strict operationalization of the traffic regulations to provide a safer and more reliable transport sector.
Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga supported the motion noting that it was timely as it comes at a time when Christmas is approaching and El nino rains are on the way as predicted by the weatherman.
Kalasinga said with many vehicles expected on the slippery roads now that the heavy rains have started across the country, a clear direction on how the roads will be maintained should be in place.
“There should be strict measures in place on the number of hours a driver should be on the road. Some companies will have one driver doing five trips a day to maximize on the passengers going upcountry,” Kalasinga said.
Contributing to the debate, the Deputy Leader of the Majority Party, Owen Baya said members need to sensitize and educate bodaboda riders on the importance of adhering to road safety measures as most of the road accidents are caused by riders.
The Kilifi North MP added that road accidents have a negative effect on investors.
“The many road accidents witnessed in our country are not good for our economy. They interfere with investors’ confidence as some of them look at the road accident matrix before investing,” Baya said.
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