Members of Parliament have warned the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) against introducing tighter speed limits on major highways, saying the move could make traffic congestion worse.
The lawmakers raised the concern on Tuesday, August 11, when NTSA officials appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure to discuss road safety and the authority’s operations.
The committee questioned plans to introduce more speed restrictions on highways, arguing that motorists could end up spending even more time on the roads.
“However, the Committee discouraged NTSA from enforcing speed limits on highways, noting that the step might contribute to worsening traffic congestion,” stated Parliament in its communiqué issued after the meeting.
Instead, the MPs requested NTSA to find ways of ensuring safety on the roads without inconveniencing motorists by reducing their speeds on the highways.
NTSA has put in place an automated traffic enforcement mechanism to control motorists and check whether they are speeding on main roads.
This mechanism entails cameras placed along highways and other roads in order to identify motorists who violate traffic regulations. Speeding motorists can get digital traffic fines via SMS.
However, the enforcement of speed limits has faced resistance from some motorists, with many complaining that they are not always aware of where the cameras have been installed.
Different speed limits are already in force on Kenyan roads depending on the location and type of road.
On urban sections of major highways such as Thika Road and Mombasa Road, the limit can be as low as 50 kilometres per hour. Bypasses generally have a limit of 80 km/h, while some open highway sections allow speeds of up to 110 km/h.
NTSA’s automated enforcement network has more than 1,000 traffic cameras, including fixed and mobile units installed along highways, urban roads and areas considered prone to accidents.
Motorists caught speeding under the system are given seven days to pay their fines, with the penalty for overspeeding going as high as KSh10,000.
The latest warning from MPs comes as NTSA continues to face pressure to improve road safety while at the same time ensuring that traffic continues to move efficiently.
The committee’s position could force the authority to reconsider how it plans to enforce speed limits, particularly on highways where motorists already spend long hours in traffic.VV
