Overspeeding: Electronic monitoring now underway

The government contemplates introducing electronic monitoring system in all passenger buses in efforts to control road accidents, the Parliament was told yesterday.

This is one of the recommendations made by a special committee formed in September this year to look into causes of the escalating road accidents and come up with recommendations on how to control the danger.

Minister for Transport, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe told legislators that the government was considering taking stern measures as were proposed by the committee in the endeavours to control road carnage.

“According to the report, 56 percent of the accidents are caused by lack of seriousness and negligence among drivers” he said.

He added that the government lost Sh3.2 trillion last year due to road accidents in some 17, 761 road accidents that claimed 4,002 lives leaving other 23,086 people injured.

The minister gave the clarification in response to a supplementary question by Dole MP, Sylvester Massele (CCM) who had wanted to know the number of people  who died in road accidents and the government’s plan to help those who sustained injuries.

In his main question, the legislator also wanted to know what the government was doing to end the ever increasing accidents which in addition to causing loss to the nation also deprive families of their beloved ones.

In response to the main question, Minister of State, President's Office for Public Service Management, Celina Kombani, on behalf of Minister for Home Affairs, said the government in collaboration with other well wishers provides the relevant services to casualties.

She said there were 17,761 accidents in the country between January and September, 2013 compared to 11,544 accidents in the same period in 2014, being a reduction of 6,217 accidents.

“This is a clear indication that the police and the government in general is working hard to contain road accidents,” said the minister of state.

Last year traffic police boss Mohamed Mpinga said a total of 71,406 road accidents had occurred in the three preceding years.

In September this year, when he released a three-month road accident report for June, July and August, this year Mpinga said the accidents claimed many lives compared to the past years.

He noted that in June, 1,157 accidents killed 320 people, in July 388 people were killed in 1,035 accidents and 390 died in 1,146 accidents in August.

Receiving a report from a special committee formed to collect information on the increasing road accidents yesterday, Dr Mwakyembe said the money ‘was too much’ and drastic measures must be taken to address the problem.

“We compiled this report on September 13 when the country had experienced more than four big accidents including one that occurred in Mara Region where many lives were lost.

“We said something must be done as soon as possible but before taking measures let’s find out what is happening on the ground,” said Dr Mwakyembe.

The minister promised that during the first week of November this year, the government would come up with solutions based on the report’s recommendations.

But the minister told the parliament yesterday that he has given stakeholders more time to consider the recommendations by the committee, saying once implementation begins, no one should complain as the recommendations are quite harsh.