Choose to be courteous on the roads

What will you do differently this year to improve the environment in which you live and drive? What are your motorised New Year resolutions and how will they positively impact on your life and those around you?

A friend put it nicely early this week by asking, “Can you be of service to others in everything you do?”

 As we take to the wheel every day, we determine how much the economy will lose or gain by our actions or inactions.

While the motorised world has its share of challenges, I believe we are in a position of influence and can change things by doing the little things right.

Here are my thoughts on road courtesy, design and basic customer service.

Traffic and public transport

Let’s change the driving culture in Kenya, one driver and one passenger at a time.

Should we wait for stringent laws before we learn to obey basic traffic rules? Traffic lights at junctions are meant to control and ease the flow.

Red does not mean danger but stop. Amber means you may proceed with caution and Green indicates it’s safe to proceed.

Courtesy goes a long way in reducing stress, so give way at junctions. You will get to your destination less irritated and stressed by planning your journey properly. Leave on time and select the best route while respecting other road users including pedestrians.

Most Public Service Vehicles are a trouble to the law-abiding.

This week, a section of the public confessed that it would like to retain the 14-seater vans (commonly known as matatus) in favour of the larger capacity vehicles as they are able to overlap and get to their destination sooner.

The solution is not to have more rogue drivers behind the wheels, but have everybody obey traffic rules.

That way, we shall continue to live. Only in a lawless country rife with impunity would public service vehicles occupy an entire lane on a busy highway, in full sight of law enforcers, and get away with it. This, unfortunately, is the norm on Nairobi’s major roads.

Design