President William Ruto has directed Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to expedite the rollout of instant fines on roads within 90 days.
Speaking during the launch of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024 – 2028, at KICC in Nairobi on Wednesday, April 17, Ruto opined that the 90 days that the Ministry had set for the project was too long.
He noted that all motorists were aware of how they out to conduct themselves on the roads, hence the need to have the new system enforced fast enough.
“On instant fines, 90 days is too long to wait. Let us not wait,” he stated.
On the other hand, he revealed that the cameras will be installed on major roads and junctions by the end of the year.
The cameras are part of the intelligence transport system that will be used in enforcing the fines.
Additionally, Ruto also called on the police to ensure that they arrest Public Service Vehicle (PSV) drivers engaging in reckless driving. He also directed that the police should ensure that passengers have their fares refunded in such instances.
“The police must collaborate with citizens and ensure that dangerously driven PSVs reimburse fares upon arrest,” he stated.
Equally, he instructed the traffic within the National Police Service (NPS) unit and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to collaborate effectively in enforcing traffic rules.
“I expect proper coordination between NTSA and the Police. There are been some disconnect and competition between the two agencies. Mr IG, I expect better coordination,” the Head of State directed.
Ruto was during the launch of a strategy which aimed to reduce the number of fatalities and road accidents in the country by 50 per cent.
Since the start of the year, over 1,000 Kenyans have died in road accidents.
The policy launched by NTSA encompasses the following thematic areas;
-Coordination of delivery partnerships
-Road safety funding
-Risk targeting
-Infrastructure safety
-Vehicle safety standards
-Enforcement and education targeting unsafe behaviour
-Post-crash care services
-Road safety database and monitoring and evaluation systems.
