Pedestrians and boda boda riders have been named as the leading victims of road crashes in the country, with the number of fatalities continuing to rise during the festive season, raising concerns about their safety.
According to a report by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), over 4,282 people were killed in road crashes by November 2024, a notable increase compared to the same period.
As per the report, the majority of the fatalities recorded for this year are pedestrians and boda boda riders.
Those highly affected were 1600 pedestrians killed, followed by 900 motorcyclists.
Speaking with the media in Mombasa during a launch of road safety awareness campaign to promote the safety of road users during the December festivities, NTSA Deputy General Manager Coast Region John Parteroi said that they started the journey by December 10, 2024 to caution road users to be vigilant as they use the road.
He said the campaign targeted drivers, pedestrians, and motorcyclists, of which drivers of passenger service vehicles signed a declaration to drive safely, slow down, and observe all the traffic regulations.
Parteroi said that the campaign is aimed at educating road users on road safety, sensitising motorists to be careful, and following traffic rules during these festive seasons where there is a reported increase in the number of road crashes.
He noted that in a joint partnership with the National Police Service (NPS), Bloomberg Philanthropies for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) and Mombasa County Government, the campaign has targeted pedestrians and motorcyclists to be on the lookout while on their day-to-day activities.
He urged pedestrians to use the few available footbridges instead of opting to cross the road, leading to deaths.
The Kilifi-Malindi road near the Kijipwa area was listed as a high-risk highway with motorists speeding, causing crashes.
Boda bodas were also mentioned for contributing highly to pedestrians’ deaths due to traffic misbehaviour that results in hit-and-run accidents.
Perteroi said riders can help the authorities bring sanity to the road by following traffic rules, avoiding drunk driving and reckless behaviour, and wearing reflector jackets and helmets when riding at night to avoid not being seen by motorists.
He added that NTSA has technological devices that can capture drivers speeding on major roads.
“Following traffic rules is critical in promoting road safety; we are here to educate motorists and sensitize them on the importance of adhering to traffic regulations to save lives,” he said.
He noted that NTSA will keep on reminding motorists to adhere to traffic measures when it comes to day-to-day ferrying of passengers by not carrying excess.
He said passenger service vehicles are only allowed to carry passengers from 9 to 14 for a matatu or minibus.
He added Uber, Bolt, and taxi business operators are also designated to carry passengers.
He added that private motorists are not supposed to carry passengers for commercial purposes since it is only designated to vehicles that belong to licensed transport Sacco.
Coordinator for Bloomberg’s Philanthropies Vipul Patel underscored the need for continued sensitisation on road safety.
He highlighted the global challenge of speed management and the need for a sustained and multidisciplinary response.
Patel noted that speeding is a major key risk factor in road safety since it increases the risk of a crash and the severity of the injuries sustained when a crash occurs.
He said that it is important to engage pedestrians and motorists on the importance of observing road safety and the consequences of not adhering to traffic rules.
“We want to remind our people that speeding kills. Many families have been left without their caregivers due to road crashes. Let us all spread the word to our loved ones to observe traffic rules when using the road,” he said.
By Chari Suche