Tame lawlessness on roads alongside boda boda crackdown

Boda boda operator along Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi on March 10, 2022 [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

That the police are robustly enforcing the presidential order to tame rogue motorcycle taxi operators is a move in the right direction, although it is important that they use lawful means and reasonable force in implementing the order.

It is important that the crackdown is sustained to ensure the commercial riders comply with the rules that will tame lawlessness on our roads. There is a reason why every citizen must comply with the law and use prescribed means to resolve disputes, including those arising from traffic mishaps. It is critical that law enforcement agencies make the best use of the opportunity to ensure that boda boda operators do not become a law unto themselves.

And while at it, the police would do well to adopt a holistic approach and enforce the highway code generally. There is way too much licence on Kenyan roads that has made road transport hazardous for all users, including the boda boda riders who are both offenders and victims.

With the ongoing modernisation of roads across the country, there is a need to enforce a culture of obeying traffic rules. If we don't, the infrastructure projects will become more of a curse than a blessing. Given the public service vehicle (PSV) operators' disregard for the highway code, it is necessary to put in place measures to ensure they comply with rules that make road transport safe and driver behaviour predictable.

As it is, it is difficult for many road users to predict the behaviour of public service vehicles, just as it is with that of commercial motorcycle riders. It would, therefore, make more sense for the police to enforce obedience to the highway code among all commercial public transport vehicles and not just focus on boda boda riders. That way, there will be more sanity on roads, particularly in urban areas where matatu drivers' behaviour generally flies in the face of the highway code.

This is an opportunity for the police to demonstrate that it will no longer be business as usual for traffic offenders and that the boda boda crackdown is just the beginning of more robust policing.