The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has issued a statement urging motorists plying the busy Nairobi – Nakuru highway to be keener while using the route.
In the statement dated Friday, December 24, the authority pointed out that there is unusually high traffic along the said highway which is dangerous and warned against reckless driving.
Motorists were warned against overlapping and drivers were urged to exercise road courtesy in order to ease traffic which has seen travellers stuck along the highway for over six hours.
“Motorists plying or planning to use the Nairobi – Nakuru Highway are informed of unusually high traffic along the highway as people travel for the festive season.
“To enable better traffic flow, motorists are advised to exercise road courtesy and are further urged to exercise discipline by avoiding overlapping,” the Authority’s statement read.
Travellers have been forced to deal with heavy traffic snarl-ups on some of the major roads within Nairobi and highways leading out of the city.
Among the highways that have experienced heavy traffic is the Nairobi – Nakuru highway. In particular, travellers have lamented the delays they have experienced from Limuru to Mai Mahiu.
Motorists have been complaining that both lanes of the highway are experiencing traffic congestion which has been contributed to the overlapping drivers trying to beat time.
Some of the travellers lamented that the traffic has been building for the better part of the day, with others calling on the police and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to intervene even as they hope to reach their destinations on time.
Traffic offenders have also increased and road accidents have also risen.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), in a report released in December 2021, revealed that the total number of road victims increased from 15,918 by December 16, 2020, to the current 19,571.
The report further indicated that the number of people who perished and were injured in road crashes in Kenya went up by 17.3 per cent December this year compared to the same period last year.
Motorcyclists accounted for the highest number of those who perished, with 1634 fatalities, followed by pedestrians at 1477 while passengers were third at 727, with drivers coming fourth at 426.
The number of road accidents fatalities across the country was 3,707 in 2020 compared to 4,347 by mid-December 2021, the highest in five years, representing a 17.3 per cent increase.