The East African Standard (Nairobi)

OPINION
December 24, 2006
Posted to the web December 26, 2006

Catxon Muune
Nairobi

Transport minister, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere, recently launched the Christmas Season Road Safety Campaign.

It marked a significant milestone in public transport reforms and road safety campaigns. There was a notable presence at the well-attended launch. Unlike previous ones, this year's campaign is more action-oriented in distributing posters and educating drivers at traffic lights.

Accidents and deaths dramatically increase during the Christmas holidays. Excessive consumption of alcohol and high traffic of buses on longer trips create conditions that turn Christmas into an accident season.

The culture of over-indulgence and the permissive mood pervading the merry-making singles out drinking and driving as the lethal killers on highways during the festivities. This problem affects private car owners more than public ones, but accidents involving public service attract greater media attention because they kill more people.

The campaign should target specific problems that make Christmas holidays a high-accident season. Tackling the problems would stabilise fares, make passengers relaxed, have fewer accidents and drunk drivers and less disorder at matatu stages.

Thousands of holiday makers travel to the countryside at this time of the year. Crowds of people and vehicles turn Machakos "airport", a beehive of congestion, confusion and despair. Travellers get exhausted from long hours of waiting in the scorching sun or are drenched wet in the rain. Consequently, the happy Christmas spirit and mood are dampened.

Chaos erupt when an approaching bus is spotted. Travellers push and shove in a violent scramble for seats. The old and the disabled stand no chance, and are the last at the bus stop, having spent nights out. Travellers start streaming into Machakos "airport" and other stages from as early as 5am, endangering their security.

In the confusion, travellers are separated from their children, they lose money and luggage to conmen, fraudsters, pickpockets and petty thieves who prey on the mayhem. Some are hurt as they get into the bus through the windows. Fares increase by more than 100 per cent, depriving travellers of dignity and honour, and impoverishing many.

Travellers dread the thought of having to look for transport during the Christmas season. But they have little choice and brace themselves for the ordeal, an annual ritual that casts gloom and sorrow over an otherwise merry season.

But there are more problems in store for the travellers. They have to contend with crackdowns police and the Transport Licensing Board (TLB) mount on the roads. Passengers are inconvenienced and many times they are stranded when the vehicles are found wanting. This annual ordeal need not be so.

The safety campaign should have specific responses to the problems. The popular comedians of television programme, Vitimbi, should be hired to provide entertainment for travellers and to sensitise matatu operators, especially drivers and conductors, on the dangers of drink driving. Using their communication skills, the comedians can deliver messages for specific problems. This should be done three days preceding Christmas - December 22, 23 and 24.

Another solution is to divert all western Kenya-bound buses to Nairobi's Globe Cinema roundabout to decongest Machakos "airport".

Vehicle controllers should be hired for the season to help control crowds, queuing, security and coordinate movement, parking and loading of luggage and goods.

TLB should issue temporary licences to buses and other vehicles to ease transport problems. This would increase competition, improve services and stabilise fares. Vetting of public transport vehicles seeking temporary licenses should also be done to ensure that they are roadworthy. There is need to change behaviour, mannerisms and attitude of public transport operators to alcohol and driving.

The writer is the principal officer Muune Associates and lead consultant, Public Transport Reforms Programme