[ad_1]
A total of 184 people died in road accidents in January, latest statistics from NTSA have revealed.
The number is slightly lower than the 212 who perished in the same month in 2018.
Majority of the fatalities are pedestrians (72) followed by boda boda operators at 44.
The data says 37 passengers, 18 drivers, 12 pillion passengers and one pedal cyclist alaso died over the same period.
NTSA director for Road Safety Njeri Waithaka, however, said the authority is particularly worried by accidents involving boda boda operators.
“It is disturbing that the number of boda boda fatalities continues to rise. It is a serious challenge,” Waithaka told the Star on Sunday.
NTSA has developed regulations on bodaboda which if implemented well, will see a reduction in road fatalities.
The regulations, among other things, require operators to join associations and help in streamlining their operations.
“Even when some bodabodas are registered with the association, we have seen as per the records, nothing has changed. In fact, the numbers are going up,” Njeri said.
Read: Senators want punitive measures to streamline boda boda transport
More: NTSA introduce regulations for bodaboda operators
On November 22 last year, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and his Transport counterpart James Macharia gazetted a task force to introduce reforms in the boda-boda sector.
The 12-member team on policy, legal and administrative reforms on public motorcycle transport was given 60 days to execute its mandate.
In December, Matiang’i extended the deadline for bodaboda operators to comply with safety guidelines to May this year.
The new regulations will make it an offense to carry more than one pillion passenger. They require headlights to be on at all times.
Also read: NTSA asked to tighten boda boda rules to curb accidents
[ad_2]
