Interior CS Kithure Kindiki bans Sienta and Noah taxi drivers from operating over increased road accidents by reckless driving
The ban is aimed at reducing road carnage emanating from overloading and overspeeding by the owners of those vehicle brands while on road
The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Prof Kithure Kindiki has announced that government is considering to introduce age limit to the public service vehicles drivers
The move is aimed at combating the increased road carnage caused by reckless driving by notorious drivers and and violations of traffic act, rules and regulations
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, Kithure said that some developed countries have implemented the safety measures policy which Kenya should borrow a leaf from advance states
“If I disclose to the public the number of deaths occasioned by the motorists both passengers and pedestrians, you will be shocked, the number is really devastating day by day thus needs some confidential disclosure,’’ Kithure hinted to the legislators seeking responses on government’s measures to curb road accidents
He also disclosed that the state is contemplating of withholding licenses for the drivers who cause reckless accidents as private cars will be permanently barred from driving after attaining seventy years of age
Additionally, CS said that, some countries do not have preferential treatment for VVIPs, which in some instances has been misused by those in power leading to breaches of the national transport and safety regulations
While on the issues on how his ministry alongside Transport and Infrastructure counterpart, Kipchumba Murkomen, Kithure announced the total ban of Sienta and Noah taxi drivers from engaging in commercial public service vehicles
According to CS, the owners of the vehicles are notorious and have been violating traffic roads by over speeding and overloading passengers just like sacks of maize
“Our officers are working closely with the NTSA officers to bring down the road carnages, we shall not lend anyone ears because we must protect the lives of our people,’’ he added
The Ministry also weighed on how the bodaboda riders have been violating the traffic rules in major towns and highways without paying attention to the dangers awaiting them
“We wanted to help these bodaboda operators by demanding them to go for driving schools and register in saccos but again they have turned also to be notorious
The measures we are coming up with will not leave any stone untouched. We will not listen to whoever, all those who will be caught on the wrong side of the law will know that we have come out of age,’’ he charged to bodaboda operators
He also issued a warning shot to police officers receiving bribes of SH 50 bob in detriment to risking the passengers
“Some officers collecting bribes from motorists are maligning the good work of National Police Service. Some poor bodabada offenders breaks the law and after giving away bribes of 50 shillings, they are released to go scot free
We have to stop corruption, officers endangering passengers by receiving bribes of 100 shillings from matatus who are overloading passengers and over speeding will be dealt with by our team together with the NTSA,’’ He issued the warning
Some of the saccos on the red ladder include Embassava Matatus in Nairobi, Modern Coast, North Rift, Tahmeed Bus Company among others