Major traffic operation to curb festive accidents

Nakuru County Security Committee has launched a massive traffic operation along major highways in a bid to curb accidents during the festive period.

Nakuru County Police Commander Peter Mwanzo said the multi-agency operation would be undertaken in conjunction with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) insisting that all traffic rules must be obeyed.

“Drunk driving, high speed and free-wheeling is a major contributor to accidents along this route and we are now working to stop that, strict enforcement of the 50kph speed limit along this stretch,” said Mwanzo

Mwanzo who spoke at the scene of Tuesday evening’s accident in which 10 people died.

The accident involved two Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) and a truck at Ngata Bridge along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway. The police boss who was flanked by the county commissioner and the county traffic police commander called on motorists to observe traffic rules while on the road. 

“The past few days we have witnessed madness on our roads, overlapping is also among the major causes, we saw what happened in Mai Mahiu,” said Mwanzo.

He revealed that in the past month, the county had witnessed 238 accidents with 30 people losing their lives while 44 in serious conditions and still admitted.

“We are not going to allow this any further, motorists must observe lane discipline, speed limit, and we will also have Alco blow,” he said.

On his part, County commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) had begun erecting rumble bumps strips along the route to curb accidents saying by Friday it will be completed.

He said the purpose was to find a lasting solution saying the government plans to commence construction of an additional lane and separate the flow of opposing streams of traffic with jersey barriers in the maiden akin to the Molo River-Sachangwan-Kibunja section.