National

Government nets over Sh299M in traffic fines, amid surge in road accidents

By Mary Wambui | Thursday, March 21, 2024

The CS told the MPs there has been an influx of illegal PSVs whose arrest and prosecution have proved to be a challenge because of the high threshold of evidence laid by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The government has collected sh299,490,400 in court fines and forfeitures between January 1 and February 29, this year, following the arrest and prosecution of 22,958 drivers for violating traffic laws.

The majority of the drivers were arrested for speeding and drunk driving which have been noted as the two major causes of road traffic crashes in the country.

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The figure coincides with the trend of the increase in accidents in the country, with the period between January and February having recorded the largest deaths yet, compared to the same period last year.

"Between January and February 2024 a total of 1,926 crashes were reported across the country as compared to 1,503 in a similar period in 2023 being a 28 per cent increase," Interior CS Kithure Kindiki said while responding to Members of the National Assembly's committee of Transport's questions over rising cases of accidents in the country on Thursday.

The CS told the MPs there has been an influx of illegal PSVs whose arrest and prosecution have proved to be a challenge because of the high threshold of evidence laid by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

"The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution requires that passengers give statements and appear before court in areas that fall between the start of their journeys and their final destinations. This has always proved to be a hurdle which results in 80 per cent of illegal PSV cases not being prosecuted and hundreds of thousands in forfeitures," he explained.

He further noted challenges within the judicial system that he said have aided traffic law violations, such as the diversion of traffic cases by the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which he said does little to discourage traffic offenders and courts' habit of imposing lenient fines on drivers who break the law.

The MPs argued that laxity in enforcement of traffic laws had recently created a culture of impunity on the roads.

On his part, Professor Kindiki defended the service over laxity but quickly pointed out that several officers are abetting accidents by collecting bribes along the highways to allow unroadworthy and unfit cars and individuals on the road.

"The corruption that takes place between police officers and operators of PSVs has proven to be a challenge which results in offenders being allowed to get away with committing traffic violations," he confessed.

Earlier this week, a joint meeting by officials from the ministries of transport and security resolved to kick off a nationwide crackdown on unroadworthy vehicles and motorists flouting traffic rules in the country.

As that is happening, the ministry wants traffic officers issued with modern speed cameras and breathalyzers necessary to prosecute speeding and drunk drivers.

Kindiki also called for a review of the Traffic Act-School Regulations of 2017 which should include the driver's age, driving experience and conduct of the driver and their aides.

He also wants the Traffic Department revamped and resourced directly from funds allocated to road safety under the agencies directly charged with road safety under the Ministry of Roads and Transport.