“You can imagine temperature in Turkana rise to 38 degrees Celsius, how can we put on helmet even if its for our safety,?
Boda boda operators in Turkana have vowed they will not comply with the traffic rule requiring them to wear a helmet due to the hot weather in the region.
The county boda boda association chairman Samuel Nanok said Turkana is an arid region where temperatures are very high.
“We will comply with the Michuki rules but using a helmet will not be possible. We struggle a lot with this harsh condition, putting on a helmet is our major challenge because the sun is very hot,” he said.
He said they have complied with all other traffic rules including providing their pillion passengers with reflectors.
Adding that weather in Turkana cannot allow them to put on helmets.
This comes after the government plans to form a task force to come up with a set of regulations to guide boda boda transport.
Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the team will have 60 days to come up with rules and regulations to guide the sector, which has more than 700,000 operators.
“By February next year, the sector estimated to have a million motor cycles will be guided by law,” said Macharia adding that the motorcycle transport business was popular hence the need for the government to introduce regulations to ensure safety of the public was guaranteed.
“In all the health facilities are special wards meant to victims of boda boda accidents, this must end as the law will catch up with offenders,” he said.
On road networks, the CS said billions of shillings would be spent in connection major roads with the Northern Corridor. He said design for the proposed Kenol- Marwa- Nanyuki dual carriage highway was complete and construction will soon kick off.