National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) has embarked on providing road safety education to primary school children in a bid to reduce road accidents involving children along Kenyan highways.
Speaking at Kimorori Primary School in Murang’a South, NTSA Director General George Njao, said the agency has moved to introduce road safety education to learners following an outcry from the community over the increased number of accidents.
“There have been many accidents resulting from careless driving along the stretch between Makuyu and Kenol that have exposed hundreds of pedestrians to danger,” he said.
“For two days NTSA officials and other partners will be at the school where they will teach learners road signs and traffic rules to observe when crossing the highway,” Njau added.
Njau said the safety agency was partnering with other stakeholders pertaining to the safety of learners in schools located along the highways.
“One of our leading partners in matters pertaining to the introduction of safety education in schools is Los Ninos,” he said, adding that the partnership focuses on reduction of road accidents when learners are crossing the roads.
The safety agency aims to roll out the safety programme to more than 1,000 schools on the highways in efforts to promote road safety among primary school children.
Njao said the agency was holding talks with Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) over construction of the foot bridges that will serve the fast growing Kenol market.
He emphasised that road safety is a community issue which needs strong collaboration with partners for the safety of children and other pedestrians.
Los Ninos initiative representative, Angela Kang’ethe, said they embarked on the initiative in order to promote the safety of learners through training of traffic marshals as a way to ensure the children are safe.
“The vuka salama initiative involved interactive training of children and road safety marshals as well as provision of safety materials,” Kang’ethe said.
By Purity Mugo
