In the past few months, a lot has been said about deaths through road accidents.Transport minister Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere and the ministry have been blamed for the mess on our roads. The media have even suggested that the minister is sleeping on the job. Strangely, even Parliament has bought into the propaganda. If we are interested in solving the problem, then the truth must be told.
The truth is that before the introduction of the Legal Notice number 161 of October, 2003, more than 3,000 people would die in road accidents a year. Globally, up to 1.2 million people a year would perish, 85 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa although the region has only four per cent of the world’s vehicles. From the statistics, Kenya contributed a large percentage of the deaths in road crashes.
The Transport ministry, therefore, came to the conclusion that if nothing was done to reduce road accidents, then the number of deaths would outstrip those caused by malaria and HIV/Aids. This was the rationale behind the legal notice. It came to force in February 2004, and since then the benefits have been evident for all to see. Deaths on the road decreased, especially during the first six months, by 73 per cent.
This was because more than 2,000 public service vehicle drivers were removed from our roads, some for using fake licences. Most unroadworthy vehicles were also removed, but most importantly was the support of the public. At that initial stage, traffic police performed their duties wonderfully.
It can be recalled that joint crackdowns were carried out in Nairobi, led by the Transport ministry, Transport Licensing Board, Traffic Police and even the Administration Police. This outcome was good and in 2005, the death toll reduced from more than 3,000 to 2500. Last year, the number went up to 2,700 deaths.
There are many factors that cause road accidents — 85 per cent are the result of human error: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and driving without valid licences — 11 per cent due to mechanical defects and four per cent due to environmental factors, including poor roads, animals and lack of road signs.
Human error is still the major cause of accidents. This is not under the control of the Transport minister or the agencies under the ministry. It has everything to do with road users. Every road user must know what is required by the Traffic Act and should follow the Highway Code. It is never the function of the minister to ensure that a pedestrian crosses the road at the right place or a passenger wears a seat belt.
Commuters know it is illegal to board overloaded vehicles. It is, therefore, their responsibility to give overloaded vehicles a wide berth. If laws are not observed, the traffic police should arrest and charge the culprits. Enforcement of the law falls under the Internal Security minister, not Transport.
According to the Traffic Act, Sections 69 and 105, uniformed police should stop a vehicle and check whether it is overloaded. When TLB and the Motor Vehicles Inspection Unit want to inspect a vehicle, they must use the police. If the law is not being enforced, the enforcers are sleeping on the job and the Transport minister should not be made to carry their cross.
Unroadworthy vehicles also cause road accidents. It is the responsibility of vehicle owners to ensure that the vehicles are in good shape. The police should seize them and charge the owners. Again the Transport minister has no role in this.
On poor roads, the Roads and Public Works ministry should take responsibility, not the Minister for Transport.
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Sources: The Standard,
Published, April 13, 2007
**Mr. J.O. Manyala is the Assistant Director of Information at the Transport ministry
http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143967253&date=13/4/2007
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