After the ill-fated bus that crashed at Fort Ternan in Kericho County killed 56 people, the NTSA have decided bring back the Michuki rules that once saw discipline maintained in the Kenyan roads.
“In the recent past, there has been an upsurge in the number of road accidents involving Public Service Vehicles, mainly attributed to lack of observance of the laws governing traffic management. These accidents have led to loss of lives and suffering,” the government said in a statement by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and his Interior counterpart Fred Matiang’i.
The two ministers further said “Therefore, effective Monday, 12th November 2018, any PSV vehicle, drivers, saccos/transport companies, passengers and other relevant parties that fail to comply with the provisions of the NTSA Act and the Traffic Act will be firmly dealt with in accordance with the law.”
The new rules would mean that all public service vehicles will be fitted with speed governors, safety belts, and the yellow line. While some of the matatus were still adhering to the law, there had been a laxity among the operators and enforcement agencies.
A staggering 91 per cent of the crashes are attributed to human related factors like speeding, reckless driving, dangerous overtaking and drunk driving, aspects that the governments hopes to reduce by the enforcement of the dreaded Michuki Rules.
In the statement, Dr Matiang’i and Mr Macharia said that, as per the law, all PSV drivers and conductors are required to wear uniforms and badges, as well as prominently display their photos, at all times when they are at work.
“It will be a ruthless, painful and sustained exercise until we see the return of order in the sector,” Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho told the Nation last Wednesday about the new enforcement drive. “This time, it will be meticulous”.
In the case of Fort Tenan crush,Lack of the speed regulator added to a myriad of requirements that the bus owned by Western Cross Express had flouted. It has also been revealed that the bus carried excess passengers, lacked an insurance sticker and did not have a night travel licence. It also emerged that the driver was doing an 800-kilometre round trip.
Road carnage claimed 2,969 people in 2016, 2,919 in 2017 and 2,300 people have already died on the road between January 1 and October 3 this year.
Due to the current state of our roads do you believe the renaissance of Michuki rules will be a safe belt for our lives on the roads?