The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has said it will move to court to seek an injunction after the High Court suspended the rollout of the newly introduced instant traffic fines.
An injunction is a court order issued in different forms. In this case, NTSA plans to request a temporary order that would keep the system in place and maintain the current situation until the court hears and decides on the petition challenging the fines.
Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, March 12, NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa said the move shows the authority’s commitment to improving road safety across the country.
If the court grants the order, NTSA would be allowed to continue enforcing the fines until the case is fully heard and determined next month.
The authority had announced the rollout of the instant fines traffic management system on Monday, March 9.
Under the system, motorists who commit traffic offences would receive instant alerts through SMS notifying them of the violation, a move that sparked mixed reactions among drivers.
The system captures several offences, including speeding, lane indiscipline, driving on pavements and failure to wear seatbelts.
Depending on the offence, the fines range from Ksh500 to Ksh10,000.
However, Justice Bahati Mwamuye of the High Court issued conservatory orders stopping NTSA from implementing the system after a petition was filed by lawyer Shadrack Wambui challenging the directive.
The court directed that the case will be mentioned on April 9 for the hearing and determination of the petition.
At the same time, Kondiwa said the authority will soon launch a crackdown on fake insurance companies operating across the country.
He noted that fraud in the insurance sector has led to motorists paying high premiums while receiving little or no benefit.
“The other area we will focus on is insurance because there is a lot of fraud happening in the sector. This is one of the reasons why some motorists end up paying very high premiums,” he said.
