NTSA Director Francis Mejja at a past press conference. [Photo|businessdailyafrica.co.ke]
The National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) has said that the fine it will be collecting from stalled vehicles will be will be used in settling towing fees.
According to the Business Daily, NTSA Road Safety Director Njeri Waithaka has said that the fine is to cater for towing charges and that the agency is not earning from the fines.
“Our intention is not to punish motorists but to avert accidents. The vehicles are towed to the nearest police station to ensure that the owners pay the towing charges to the breakdown owners and bot NTSA,” Waithaka said.
She said that several accidents occur as a result of vehicles ramming into stalled cars on the way or some losing control while trying to avoid hitting stalled vehicles on the way.
“Sixty people lose lives annually when vehicles they are travelling in ram into stalled vehicles. A larger percentage of passengers also suffer death or serious injuries when their vehicles deviate to avoid hitting stalled vehicle only to collide with oncoming vehicles or lose control,” Waithaka said.
NTSA had last week decided that motorists whose vehicles stall along the way have up to an hour to get off the way or they will be forcefully towed to a nearby police station and they will foot the towing charges.
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