NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 23 – The National Transport Safety Authority has called for pedestrians and motorists to exercise caution while using Nairobi roads with more than 60 per cent of the 400 plus deaths recorded in Nairobi last year involving pedestrians.
Speaking to Capital FM News during a study launch on Nairobi pedestrian road safety dubbed ‘Drive To Build More Roads In Nairobi Puts Pedestrians At Risk’, NTSA Deputy Director in charge of Safety Strategies and County Co-ordination, Duncan Kibogong said most of the accidents witnessed are caused by behavioural aspects which entails most of the road users lacking road courtesy.
He said motorists should observe the designated speed limits while driving around town and further demanded that pedestrians use designated crossing points while on the road.
“Majority of the fatalities in the roads are pedestrians. What I would urge pedestrians is as much as possible to use designated crossing points be it foot bridges or at the zebra crossings,” Kibogong said.
According to the study which was carried out in Nairobi by the Oversees Development Institute and World Resources Institute in 2017, it classifies the city as a highly populated with the number of pedestrians and motorcyclists involved in fatal accidents rising with each day compared to past years.
Kibogong says they have identified the major roads with pedestrian casualties but urged every pedestrian using the roads to take care especially the minors and school going children who he said they require to be accompanied at all times for safety purposes.
“Road safety is a collective duty and majority of the roads are high risk for pedestrians therefore we advice for caution while on the road. We however have recorded high number of deaths in Thika Road, Mombasa Road, parts of Jogoo Road, Airport North Road, Eastern bypass, part of Lang’ata road and Waiyaki Way,” he said.
Kenya National Highway Authority engineer Kevin Nyabuto who also spoke during the event stated that as a way to curb the accidents, the authority had embarked on major road expansion with two meters pedestrian walks being constructed.
“Road expansion of major roads is underway and construction of service roads in the urban centre is also being done. We are also in the process of establishing a bus rapid transport in Nairobi after a successful benchmarking program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,” he said.
Nyabuto also applauded National Youth Service move to provide transport services terming the move as an introduction of a better managed commuter service in the county.