Officers in the traffic department in Murang’a have organised weekly trainings for bodaboda operators to help minimise road accidents.
Murang’a North Traffic Commandant Julius Marwa has noted increased accidents occasioned by the operators have prompted them to start training the riders on how to embrace road regulations.
Speaking to KNA in his office on Monday, Marwa observed that they will be training the riders once every week saying most accidents have been caused through careless riding.
In the trainings, the operators will also be educated on how to follow rules when involved in accidents to stop cases where bodaboda riders in the recent past have been burning cars of motorists who knock or collide with a rider.
“In a week, here in Murang’a north we record about five accidents involving a bodaboda rider. Unfortunately, when a rider is involved in an accident, the majority of them tend to hide and this poses a challenge of getting the right statistics,” explained Marwa.
Majority of riders, he added, lack basic training on road safety and regulations saying those who are being employed to do the business often fail to be keen while in line of duty.
“Those employed on commission are usually careless, their target is to raise the money needed by their employer and in case of an accident, they leave the motorcycle behind and disappear,” added the commandant.
Marwa further observed that most motorcycles are not registered saying this also poses a challenge to track a bike which is involved in an accident.
“What we will mostly focus on in the training is about road safety and regulations, registration, insurance and ways of handling accident cases,” he added.
A nurse at Murang’a Level 5 hospital who mans emergency section Ms Joyce Sharon observes that in a week they usually handle between three and five cases of bodaboda riders.
She said that they also record fatalities of between one or two people occasioned by riders through accidents.
Joyce said it’s high time to reduce accidents which are caused by careless riding noting that many families have been left by their loved ones through accidents.
“Apart from fatalities, some of the riders are left with severe disabilities once they are involved in an accident. There is a need to curb the frequent accidents caused by riders,” she added.
by Bernard Munyao/Julius Waiguru
