Motorists plying the Embu-Meru Highway were caught up in a traffic snarl-up following a road accident involving a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) matatu and a lorry.
The accident took place at the Mutonga River bridge along the busy highway after a head-on collision between the matatu and the lorry.
Photos seen by The Kenya Times showed a long trail of vehicles stalled on the road following the accident. By the time of publishing, it was not established if there were any casualties.
Earlier, two people were confirmed dead while several others sustained injuries following another grisly road accident involving a school bus that they were travelling in.
The Thursday, August 22, 2024, night accident involved a school bus from Archbishop Ezekiel Group of Schools which lost control at the Gitaru area in Kiambu County along the Nakuru – Nairobi highway.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the accident happened when the school bus lost control, rammed into a stalled truck before landing into a ditch leading to the casualties.
Preliminary reports indicate that the bus was moving towards the Gitaru intersection general direction from Limuru and that it was ferrying passengers who had hired it.
Photos seen by The Kenya Times showed the overturned bus damaged and shattered glasses strewn all over.
By the time of publishing, it was not clear how many occupants were in the motor vehicle during the incident, and the extent of injuries they sustained.
Archbishop Ezekiel Group of Schools bus involved in accident
A rescue team was quickly dispatched to the scene, which in turn helped to evacuate the victims trapped inside the wreckage following the accident. On the other hand, well-wishers helped rush the victims to the hospital for medication.
Also Read: Accident Alert: Several Students Hospitalized After Early Morning Accident
The crash came hours after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) issued a directive to motorists, parents and guardians of school-going children in a bid to ensure road safety ahead of schools reopening in late August.
NTSA in a statement on August 22, 2024, urged the parents and guardians to ensure that respective schools have complied to a directive issued by the Ministry of Transport.
“Private motorists, Public Service Vehicle operators, school management and parents/guardians have an enormous responsibility of ensuring the safety of our children,” said NTSA.
The Authority emphasized that it is prudent that the vehicles ferrying children are insured, roadworthy, and fitted with functional speed limiters that transmit data to the NTSA Intelligent Road Safety Management System (IRSMS) and that they are compliant with licensing requirements including having valid road service licenses, inspection certificate among others.
NTSA Cautions motorists
Further, NTSA said that all road users must be cognizant that there will be increased travel of school children across the country with schools re-opening in the coming week.
Also Read: Survivors Narrate Last Moments Before Accident That Killed 13 People
The Authority issued the directive highlighting that dangerous driver behaviors such as speeding, reckless overtaking, use of un-roadworthy vehicles, drunk driving, driver fatigue, carrying of excess passengers, and use of unfamiliar routes have been attributed to some of the reported crashes.
At the same time, NTSA said that during this back-to-school period, the ongoing NPS enforcement, NTSA safety compliance checks and the Usalama Barabarani education programme will be heightened across the country.
“Previously, we witnessed violations that in some instances resulted in both fatal and serious injuries. We call upon all motorists to play their part as road safety is a shared responsibility.”
NTSA data reveals that a total number of 2,407 people have died on Kenyan roads since January 1, 2024, as of July.
According to the safety authority, pedestrians were the most vulnerable road users amounting to 919 fatalities, followed by motorcyclists with 555 deaths, passengers at above 300, pillion passengers at 199 and drivers at 210.
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