The first day of the new traffic law and 930 matatu and bodaboda operators has been netted. The new stringent rules are to bring safety back to the roads, but as we went around Nairobi, it seems the new laws that were to scare motorists into compliance, are not quite scary!
Police arrested about 930 drivers across Kenya by the end of the week due to new traffic laws in place, Kenya’s Daily Nation reported Sunday (December 2nd).
A citywide protest by public service vehicle operators followed the implementation of the Traffic Act on Thursday, when 50 drivers and conductors were arrested. More violations were seen across the city on Friday and Saturday, and disputes over the intent of the law continued.
Traffic Commandant Benson Kibui said the suspects were arrested for obstruction, overlapping, picking up passengers outside designated areas, riding motorbikes without helmets and reflective jackets, driving without licences, and driving vehicles without fire extinguishers and reflectors.
Kibui defended the new law, saying it extends the right to enforce traffic laws to all police officers. While the act explicitly dissolves the traffic department, traffic police officers are still on the roads, the news agency reported.
Kibui said the National Police Service Commission will give directions on how to further implement the law. “The process of recruiting the inspector general is still ongoing. Once the inspector general is appointed, the commission will be complete and it will issue guidelines on how to move forward,” he said.
Source:sabahionline.com
