Police, NTSA Launch Easter Travel Crackdown on Unsafe Vehicles

As the schools close this week for the Easter holiday weekend, the traffic department has begun operations to ensure motorists comply with traffic regulations.
They report that numerous unroadworthy vehicles are being used by travelers heading to rural areas, leading to breakdowns and fatal accidents.
At Kwa Mathore area in Lari sub-county along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, traffic officers joined forces with the National Transport and Safety Authority to conduct inspections on Wednesday.
The traffic base commander, Chief Inspector Abraham Kiplagat, stated they were also checking vehicles violating Traffic Law Board licenses, unroadworthy vehicles, and intoxicated public service vehicle (PSV) drivers.
He further disclosed that they were examining PSV license certificates, driving licenses, and even the speed governors installed on PSV vehicles.
“With the Easter holiday approaching and schools closing for April break, we’ve observed a surge in travel. Some motorists rush to use unroadworthy vehicles, some not even insured, which contravenes traffic rules and we cannot permit,” Kiplagat said at the operation site.
“Others are being hired by students for transportation to various areas while their TLBs do not permit this,” he revealed.
However, upon learning of the operation, many motorists started using rural roads in the villages of Gitithia, Escarpment, Kabunge, and Matathia to avoid the Kwa Mathore area where officers were stationed.
Passengers expressed concern about motorists evading inspections, noting that PSVs had wasted their time.
“These PSV operators only care about keeping their vehicles moving and making quick profits but fail to meet other regulations. This is why they avoid law enforcement,” said Martha Njoki, a trader who commutes daily from Rukuma trading center to Kimende town.
Njoki urged authorities to enforce traffic regulations strictly to reduce preventable accident cases.
“Some accidents could be avoided if certain vehicles were not on the roads. These operations need to be conducted regularly,” she stated.
Others criticized the police and NTSA for conducting unplanned operations that inconvenience road users.
“We are transporting perishable farm produce to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Why conduct such an operation that makes us waste time looking for alternative routes to avoid being caught?” questioned Simon Njenga, a trader.
“If we lose even a minute, we risk missing our flight and losing expensive flowers,” he complained while stuck in traffic on an overcrowded road.
Kiplagat emphasized that their mission is to ensure only properly maintained vehicles operated by qualified drivers are on the roads.