Report: Funding to mitigate loss caused by c*****s is insufficient

Funds allocated for road safety are insufficient, a report by the National Safety and Transport Authority (NTSA) reveals.

The funding that is intended to mitigate the annual socio-economic losses caused by road crashes, estimated to be over Sh450 billion is insignificant, the agency says.

NTSA’s report indicates there is a need to increase funding at national and county levels to ensure sustainable financing for road safety programs and cost-effective safety investments in Kenya over the next decade,

The report, released on Wednesday calls for the establishment of a National Road Transport and Safety Fund to finance activities geared towards improving road safety and prevent serious and fatal road traffic injuries.

“The fund will support road safety programs sustainably and focus on achieving the best long-term value for investment,” states the report.

The report recommends that 10 per cent of the funding should be dedicated to safety.

Road safety

It tasks the Kenya Roads Board, Road Authorities, and county governments to ensure that each new road development and improvement scheme contains a minimum of 10 per cent of its funds dedicated to road safety.

Similarly, all development partners and financing institutions for road infrastructure must allocate a portion of the costs to road safety at both national and county levels, states the report.

NTSA also calls for the establishment of funding mechanisms for county transport and safety committees.

The authority argues the move will create a funding stream for these committees and county-specific road action plans through structured funding from respective county governments.