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NTSA to erect pedestrian fences on Nairobi highways


The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has been granted the permission to erect pedestrian fences on major highways in Nairobi to reduce pedestrian accidents.

NTSA will erect the fences on the whole stretch from City Stadium to Railways underpass, which is approximately 3.5 kilometers.

The road between Kempinsky to Kabete through the Westlands roundabout and ABC Place is also set to be separated with a fence.

On Friday, NTSA Director General, Francis Meja said that the Kenya Urban Roads Authority would also do road signage on the highways.

“NTSA and police enforcing the speed limits and marshalling the pedestrians to use the existing footbridges are some of the measures we have also put in place,”Mr Meja said.

He said the Kenya National Highway Authority had identified eleven other areas within the city which require footbridges.

Statistics released by the authority indicate that more people have died as a result of road accidents this year, as compared to those who died in the same period last year.

ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN

The statistics indicate that by October 27 this year, a total of 2,434 people had died. By the same date last year, 2,346 people were recorded to have died.

NTSA launched a three month road safety campaign in a bid to reduce fatalities resulting from road accidents.

Mr Meja said the country normally experiences a high number of deaths as a result of accidents, towards the end of the year and during the Christmas period.

“A high number of fatalities were pedestrians and even though the numbers recorded have reduced by 23, the number is still high and we need to impose all measures to reduce them,” Mr Meja said.

“Most of the fatalities occurred in Nairobi, with a majority of those who are killed being young and economically viable persons,” Mr Meja revealed, adding that matatus contribute significantly to these deaths.

Mombasa Road, where the Road Safety Campaign launch was conducted, had the highest number of accidents resulting to death, followed by Thika Superhighway, Waiyaki Way, Eastern Bypass, Nothern Bypass and Jogoo Road.

He named the most dangerous roads in Nairobi as Jogoo Road, Landhies Road, Airport North Road, Eastern Bypass, Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway, Mombasa Road and Thika Road.