The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the National Police Service (NPS) have jointly launched a road safety campaign in the Coast Region to reign in drivers who try to run afoul of the law.
The joint operation that has kicked off this week will run through to the Christmas and the New Year holidays as it is a time of increased holiday and commercial activities.
NTSA Coast Regional Manager, Eva Nyawira, and Coast Regional Police Commander, Gabriel Musau, who jointly spoke to KNA at Uhuru na Kazi building in Mombasa, said there is need for enhanced road safety campaigns during the December and New Year holidays.
They contended the purpose of the renewed campaign was to improve road safety, reduce the number of serious traffic crash incidents and generally provide a safer environment for all the road users.
The two implored road users to be festive but not fatal during the festive season to avoid tragedies.
Nyawira said this time of the year calls for heightened vigilance as it is a busy time on the roads as families and holidaymakers both domestic and foreign travel to and from various destinations to the coastal region.
“We would like to remind all and sundry that road safety is everyone’s responsibility and road users should simply abide by the road rules,” she said.
She called on drivers to be courteous and show tolerance to other road users such as motorcyclists and pedestrians as doing so would contribute in ensuring that everyone reaches their destinations safely.
“We have to share our roads and what that means is that drivers should always be courteous and observe speed limits for their own safety and the safety of others,” she said.
Nyawira said NTSA and NPS statistics usually show that motorcyclists and pedestrians are the most affected road users and their joint effort is a ‘simple and timely reminder for all of us to take care on the roads’.
She said the multi-agency team will also be encouraging road users to adopt safer driving behaviours and encourage compliance with simple road rules.
“As the festive season beckons, we know social gatherings become more frequent and the temptations to drink and drive increases hence the need to be proactive,” she said.
She said that if one must take alcohol, they should find an alternative to driving by either looking for a different person to drive you or hire a cab.
Nyawira urged drivers to make better decisions when they are behind the wheel so they can arrive at their destination safely.
She said NTSA and the police hope that the road safety efforts will encourage drivers to think twice about speeding, driving while fatigued or under the influence of alcohol and picking up their phones while behind the wheels.
Musau said police will be increasing their visibility on the roads and mounting checkpoints to crackdown on drunk driving, distracted driving and speeding.
He said as part of the road safety campaign police will be increasing their presence on major roads and enforcement of drunk driving, speeding, seat belts for public service vehicles and fatigue especially for long-haul truck drivers.
The police chief said it is the responsibility of every driver and passenger to ensure our roads stay safe and that motorists avoid over speeding and not to drive under the influence of alcohol.
“Keeping our roads safe is our top priority year-round and especially the festive periods and our clarion call is please don’t drink and drive,” he said adding that motorists cannot afford to be complacent when traveling.
He called on the public to work closely with the police, follow the law and behave responsibly to keep our communities safe.
By Hussein Abdullahi
