Inspector General of Police, Hilary Mutyambai has directed traffic police officers to arrest excess passengers found in any Public Service Vehicle (PSV).
Speaking during a joint press conference with the National Transportation Safety Authority (NTSA), IG Mutyambai said that police will now hold passengers who exceed a vehicle’s carrying capacity individually responsible for their action.
“I want to warn passengers during this season and even after, that any excess in any PSV with effect from today will deal with passenger as an individual.” said Mutyambai.
He added, “If you are found on a roadblock as an excess passenger in any PSV, we will remove you from that vehicle no matter at what point and the vehicle will continue. (sic.)”
The directive was issued even as the NTSA released data on the number of Kenyans who have lost their lives due to road accidents.
NTSA revealed that 3,396 people lost their lives to road accidents between January 1 and December 17, in 2019.
NTSA Director General George Njao has said this is a 13.4 percent increase in road accident fatalities compared to the same period in 2018.
Njao said 98 percent of road crashes were attributable to human behaviour such as loss of control due to high speed, lane indiscipline, overloading and dangerous overtaking.
“We have noted high indiscipline on the roads especially loss of control due to high speeds, overloading and dangerous overtaking. This is an area that we will hope to reverse by use of technology to ensure those caught in this environment are dealt with. ”
The NTSA boss further said 73.4 percent of the reported fatalities were among motorcyclists, pillion passengers and pedestrians.
Njao said NTSA shall focus majorly on driver checks, random stops along major highways shall be conducted during the day and night to verify validity of Driving Licences, speed checks, use of seat belts, overloading, freewheeling among other issues.
Any driver found flouting traffic rules shall have their Driving Licence suspended and be required to undergo a mandatory driver retest.
