The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the government have begun re-assessing minor traffic offenses and speed limits across the country. This comes after motorists complained about the newly rolled-out instant fines
This comes just days after the High Court blocked the rollout of instant fines with a temporary injunction. This was done after Shadrack Wambui and lobby group Sheria Mtaani filed a lawsuit against the rollout of the fines.
In Parliament, Transport CS Davis Chirchir stated that the government is planning a new approach to be rolled out. This will see minor traffic offenses being rolled out through instant fines. This means that motorists will be allowed to clear their fines and proceed with their journeys. This has been proposed as a way of creating a fair system. This will also see a reduction in minor cases being presented before courts. The review will also see the rollout of new speed limits. This is because the last rollout of speed limits was done in 2016 and had effectively expired.
According to Chirchir, “NTSA is engaging with several stakeholders to review speed limits and establish new ones.”
In support of this, the authority is working with various bodies, such as the Judiciary, KeNHA, KURA, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, and the Kenya Law Reform Commission, among others.
The CS, however, admitted that the system was introduced when speed limit guidelines were not in operation, but defended it as a measure aimed at relieving pressure on the courts.
“The instant fines are meant to decongest courts and make it easier for motorists to settle minor offenses without lengthy procedures,” he said.
The authority last week announced that it would go back to court and seek orders for the continued imposition of the instant fines as the case progresses in court.
This way, the authority will be in a position to impose the instant fines before the hearing of the case in court next month, depending on the court’s ruling on the application.
The fines are for various offenses, such as speeding, driving on the pavement, discipline on the lanes, and failure to wear a seatbelt, among others. The fine varies, depending on the offense, ranging from Ksh500 to Ksh10,000.
However, motorists will have to wait as the government seeks to address the system, with many hoping for clarifications on the issue.
