Commuters using motorcycle bodaboda’s in Kuresoi have been advised to always prioritise wearing helmets as a precautionary measure.
According to area OCPD David Wambua, the rate at which residents were suffering due to accidents associated with motorcycles was alarming but insisted his officers were trying to streamline the boda boda industry.
“It also concerns us because it’s our responsibility to restore sanity and road safety adherence in the sector,” he told area residents at the Sirikwa shopping centre at an accident scene on Sunday evening involving two motorbikes.
Wambua noted that it was everybody’s initiative to ensure they were safe while using public transport saying that such simple thing like ignoring helmets have proven disastrous.
“If he is not wearing a helmet himself, leave alone having one for you as the passenger; ignore him because he is not concerned about the safety of both of you,” he advised.
The OCPD further cautioned operators who had formed it a habit breaking traffic rules ignoring the impact it has on other road users.
“Driving under the influence of alcohol, overloading, dangerous overtaking, not indicating when diverting corners are among the most ignored traffic rules in this area. If you have no clue of the importance of road signs and traffic rules, don’t drive,” he warned.
He noted that it was sad that Nakuru was among the areas prone to accidents according to records from the National Transport and Safety Authority but expressed confidence that the figures will drop if all measures to lock out irresponsible drivers from the roads will be necessitated across the county.
A helmet is a safety apparatus that comes together with a motorcycle that is important for safety purposes in the case of an accident.
A spot-check by this writer revealed that a majority of motorcycle operators don’t wear helmets despite them being available on their motorbikes while those wearing them don’t ensure that their passengers have them on.