Ongoing slaughter of Kenyans on the roads – as happened on Tuesday - is not only frightening but also disgusting given the recent establishment of a new agency to make policy and supervise the transport sector.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), which is financed by taxpayer funds is turning out to be just another agency whose impact ordinary Kenyans can only feel in the heavy cost burden of its operations. It is proving to be erratic, ineffective and alarmingly small in its thinking.
This is because nothing explains the NTSA’s obsession with only three factors – speeding, drunken driving and condition of vehicles – as the causes of road carnage when it is well known fact that critical components such as condition of roads and driver competence also do matter.
Take the notorious Salgaa/Sachangwan segment of the Nakuru – Eldoret Highway for instance. Many experts have advised that this section of the road needs a rethink, – especially a dualing to effectively reduce carnage.
But the NTSA’s response has been merely to erect ad-hoc roadblocks with breathalysers or speed guns in the section to nab wayward motorists.
A better approach would be one that looks at the entire spectrum of driver training, condition of roads, the corruption in traffic police department and NTSA staff, speeding, and drunk-driving to name but a few. Nothing less will do.
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