A past accident scene.[Photo/Nation]
MPs want traffic police officers to carry the blame for road accidents occurring in their areas of jurisdiction.
They have also gone ahead to push to have the owners of public transport vehicles also carry the blame for these accidents.
The parliamentary committee on Transport is planning to introduce the tough measures as a way of reducing road accidents in the country.
The committee wants the traffic police bosses jailed for the accidents brought about by speeding, drink driving, mechanical faults or sheer carelessness on the roads.
The MPs also want the Traffic Act amended so that if a vehicle is found speeding, the traffic police officer on duty in that area is jailed for allowing a vehicle with a faulty speed governor to be on the road.
The committee chaired by Pokot South MP David Pkosing has called upon Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and the officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) this morning for a discussion on how to bring the accidents to an end.
The blame also goes to the owners of the vehicles involved in the accidents.
The committee yesterday held a closed-door meeting over the increasing road accidents that brought about the number of the deaths to 250 people over the December festive period.
“The high rate of accidents in the country is worrying and as part of our mandate, we have summoned the CS Transport and NTSA officials so that we can have realistic strategies to stop accidents,” Mr Pkosing said yesterday.
“It is not going to be business as usual as many Kenyans have died due to mistakes that can be avoided,” he added.
The committee will also discuss the night travel ban imposed by the NTSA following the December accidents. They will also coem up with ways of creating deeper harmony between the NTSA and police officers.
“We will have a way forward on the night travel ban because we need to have a balance between safety on our roads and the economy. We want NTSA to strictly deal with the safety of public vehicles while police officers remain with the function of enforcing the law but we will discuss the proposal with the parties concerned,” Mr Pkosing said.
President Kenyatta recently ordered NTSA officers off the roads and let police patrol the highways.