?? Traffic Focus: Murkomen's Ultimatum on Driving Licenses, NTSA Peculiar Arrests

By Derrick Kubasu

Hello and welcome to the Evening Brief Newsletter where we are tracking government action as road crash statistics go through the roof.

Situational Awareness: Situational Awareness: Housekeeping: Since the launch of this publication on the site, we have witnessed massive growth and interest in our content. If you wish to get future editions in your email inbox, subscribe here.

Tough Talk

After months of pressure, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is adopting a hardline stance on the issuance of digital number plates and driving licenses.

In an impromptu visit to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) ? on Tuesday, Murkomen directed its officials to clear the backlog on the collection of digital number plates, logbooks, and driving licenses.

He also wanted the authority to prepare statistics on uncollected number plates, logbooks, and driving licenses and a list of where the customers had been notified to pick them up.

What Murkomen is Saying: "I want the statistics before I leave, of how many logbooks have not been collected, DLs and number plates and where the customers have been notified."

Troubling sight: During his visit, the CS interacted with long queues who had turned up at the authority's headquarters for the services.

Not Our Fault: NTSA officials, however, blamed the applicants for reluctance to pick up the log books and other documents.

The authority also blamed eCitizen for lacking two key components, a module for correction that allows motorists to amend their details and a re-registration menu that enables one to change their number plates, for sluggish service delivery. The CS had questioned why some services had stalled for months.

What NTSA is Saying: "Initially, TIMS had these modules hence making it easier for motorists to amend and access services. There's nothing we can do. They had promised to fix the module by the end of this week. The eCitizen portal lacks a module for correction and a re-registration if you want to change a number plate."

Catch Up Quick: In September last year, Murkomen issued a similar directive to the transport authority to clear the backlog of driving licenses and digital number plates with specific timelines.

In a statement after an impromptu visit to NTSA offices in Nairobi, the CS directed that all processed digital number plates be issued within 14 days.

Sore stat

Statistics of uncollected logbooks, driving licenses, and digital number plates. Despite repeated complaints of backlog and poor services, any data on the backlog, estimated to be huge, is yet to be made public.

Peculiar arrests

In an effort to reduce road carnages, NTSA and the police embarked on a joint countrywide crackdown that resulted in the arrest of hundreds of motorists and passengers.

What NTSA is Targeting: The authority is implementing a ban on the use of strobe lights, light bars, and sirens, and a special focus was also paid to drunk drivers.

• On Sunday, the authority mounted roadblocks to nab excess passengers who board public service vehicles when already full.

• Drivers and Saccos operating with expired licenses or maintaining unroadworthy vehicles.

• Drivers endanger the lives of school children who are often bundled into vehicles way past capacity. School bus crashes have been on the rise cutting across preparatory to tertiary level

Peculiar Arrests: One 14-seater PSV was found operating with a host of violations; an expired driving license and no PSV badge for the driver, no PSV badge for tout, and the offside door does not permanently lock endangering passengers.

• Video captures driver wobbly driving a matatu while passengers hang outside windows cheering him on

• A 14-seater PSV matatu was found ferrying 31 students.

• A University bus and two diplomatic vehicles were found operating without an inspection certificate.

View From CEO's Chair

In response to excess passengers being arrested in the Sacco matatu, Super Metro CEO Nelson Nduki told me that the Sacco will initiate action against the crew of the matatu in question, with consequences including expulsion.

What Super Metro CEO is Saying: "What happens is that we have a panel that sits every Friday to discipline those drivers and conductors who have been caught for any indiscipline case. For this one, whether it was NTSA or not, on our forums, there is always a report on which vehicle has been carrying excess passengers."?

"For that case, we will take action against the conductor and the driver. We look at the kind of excess. If it is two passengers, we always suspend the conductor for about a month. If it exceeds four passengers, we even expel the conductor from our company."

"We do not allow excess passengers in our vehicles and the passengers themselves are not allowed to board a vehicle that is already full. That is going against the traffic rules. When you get into the vehicle and realise it is full, you are supposed to get out. There is nothing we can do for them. We ask all our customers not to be excess passengers. We have hotline numbers so that the passengers can report on any indiscipline cases."

Here are the top five stories for the day;

1. Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen issues directives on the backlog of driving licences and number plates.

1. President William Ruto heads out for a state and official visit to two countries.

1. Another loan: World Bank to disburse Ksh158 Billion to Kenya. Here is how it will affect the Shilling and Dollar rate.

1. Nigerian Artist David Adedeji Adeleke alias Davido reveals next course of action over K24's? April Fools Day story on his arrest at JKIA.

1. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi explains why sugar prices will soon hit the roof if the looming crisis is not averted.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, share it with a friend.

This newsletter was written by Derrick Kubasu and edited by Brian Muuo.

Washington Mito contributed to the content.

Graphics prepared by Adongo Kyalo.