Kenya says to curb road carnage before festive season

NAIROBI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will implement stringent regulations to curb road carnage that reached a peak this month, officials said on Tuesday.

James Macharia, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, said the government will intensify policing at accident blackspots and crack down on errant motorists this festive season.

"We have mapped the blackspots in major highways especially the northern corridor from Mombasa to the Ugandan border with a view to put adequate measures and make them safer," said Macharia.

He spoke to reporters in Nairobi in the wake of a rising toll of road accidents in the country that have so far claimed 180 lives since the start of December.

Macharia decried the untimely loss of lives along the roads due to gross violation of traffic rules by private motorists and owners of public service vehicles.

"We have directed the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to crack down on public service vehicles who flout traffic rules. Soon, we are rolling out the smart driving license to help monitor behavior of drivers on our roads," Macharia told reporters.

Kenya is working on short and long-term plans to find solutions to road accidents that claim an estimated 3,000 people every year. The accidents usually peak around major holidays as people travel upcountry for celebrations.

Macharia said the government will invest in additional speed bumps, bridges and pedestrian paths along major highways to prevent fatal accidents.

"The medium to long-term measures that we are exploring in order to minimize road accidents include construction of dual carriage way, redesign of highways and establishment of points where drivers can check temperatures of brakes," said Macharia. Enditem