Mombasa County to crackdown on drunk driving during festivities

A driver blows an Alcoblow machine to test alcohol consumption in Nakuru Town in November 2016. [File, Standard]

The Mombasa County Government will introduce alcohol blows and cameras to curb road carnage during the December festivities.

County Disaster Management Ibrahim Basafar said unroadworthy vehicles blamed for accidents that have claimed 4,500 people this year in the country would be impounded.

“The deaths on our roads are high. As we commemorate the victims of road crashes, we should all take personal responsibility to ensure our safety.

"As a county we shall introduce alcohol blows during this festival season. We already have the speed cameras in place,” said Basafar.

He said the county has already reinstalled traffic lights to help traffic flow flawlessly as Kenyans begin to arrive for the December holidays at the coastal city.

While marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Basafar said that there are those who fail to adhere to traffic lights and endanger other road users.

“When you act against the traffic lights, assuming you are the last to pass even after the red lights indicate you should stop, then that translates to your last moments and becoming a statistic on the road crash numbers as you risk causing a road crash,” said Basadar.

He urged all road users to respect one another on the road and observe discipline.

For its part, the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) has said that all long-distance buses will be required to have speed governors and two drivers as the festive season approaches to curb road crashes.

NTSA Coast Regional Manager Naisiae Sankan said that all the upcountry buses shall be inspected to ensure they have speed governors and two drivers as the busy festive season approaches.

Sankan said there will be an increased presence of police and NTSA, as they work with public service operators, police and the county to ensure road safety.

She said despite having enforcement of road safety rules throughout the year, the authority will intensify them during Christmas.

“There will be a lot more enforcement activities that will include the upcountry buses. We ask them to regulate internally to ensure the safety of the road users. To ensure the speed governors are working, and they have two drives for the long journey,” said Sankan. 

She emphasised personal safety and asked road users and passengers to speak up when they see a driver flouting any traffic rules.

Sankan also advised pedestrians to be aware and cross only at designated areas.

“Do not be distracted with a phone while walking or earphones, and before you board a bodaboda or tuktuk, ensure you are not overloaded, and always raise an alarm when something is not done right,” said Sankan.

Initiative for Global Road Safety Bloomberg Communication Coordinator Kevin Ismael said that they are working hand in hand with both national and county traffic to ensure zero deaths on the roads.

“We do not want to have any fatalities on our roads during this year’s festivities, and we do not want anyone to be injured. We shall work with all stakeholders to ensure road safety is observed,” said Basadar.