Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has revealed that the government intends to install over 400 speed surveillance cameras at various junctions throughout Nairobi to reduce traffic violations.
Murkomen stated on Citizen TV's Monday report that the government intends to implement an Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) that will include instant fines for motorists and pedestrians who break the law.
The CS stated that a pilot project for the system is already underway and that the first implementation phase will be completed by the end of next year in Nairobi and the Northern Corridor from Mombasa to Malaba.
"We are planning to install speed cameras across the country. We also plan to install cameras in 421 junctions in Nairobi and enforce an intelligent traffic system. We were not joking when we said we were going to do so.
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"Already we have a pilot project going on; cameras are there at the Southern bypass, Thika Road, Waiyaki Way, and Kinungi," said Murkomen.
Furthermore, he stated: "Hopefully, next year we should be able to work with the private sector because this is a public-private partnership (PPP) project, we do not wish as the government to borrow or take taxpayers' money to do this yet we can do instant fines."
The Transport CS stated that testing of the cameras captured many traffic offenders, noting that once implemented, the system will initially collect a large amount of resources through fines that will be directed to road maintenance.
"We tested just a few cameras in Nairobi, and the amounts are unbelievable... Many people cross traffic lights, overlap etc. As soon as we implement this process, we are going to raise a lot of resources, but we are going to also deter so many people because they are going to receive instant fines for their phones for violating the law," said the CS.
According to the CS, the government should have completed the project's procurement phase by the end of 2024 and have the contractor install as many cameras as possible.
Meanwhile, Murkomen has urged all road users to follow traffic laws to reduce the number of fatalities caused by road accidents.
According to Ministry of Transport statistics, 3,999 people died in road accidents between January and December 7th.
While acknowledging the decrease compared to the same period in 2022, Murkomen urged all road users to follow traffic rules to reduce the numbers even further. In the period under review, boda boda riders were responsible for 1063 deaths, with 1451 pedestrians dying as a result of careless driving.
