The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has detained 13 vehicles on Nairobi's Southern Bypass after an overnight safety compliance operation that turned up drunk drivers, expired documents and vehicles with dangerous defects.

In an update on Thursday, the authority said an inter-agency team mounted the checks on Wednesday night along the busy bypass, which carries heavy truck and long-distance traffic around the capital.

"Last night, the inter-agency team conducted a safety compliance check along the Southern Bypass, during which thirteen (13) motor vehicles were detained," NTSA said.

The offences flagged

According to the authority, the vehicles were held over seven main violations:

  • driving under the influence of alcohol
  • expired driving licences
  • expired motor vehicle inspection stickers
  • operating without insurance
  • breaching the terms of insurance cover
  • broken headlights
  • cracked windscreens

NTSA did not name the owners of the vehicles or say whether any of the drivers had been arrested. Owners and drivers are expected to be processed under traffic laws before the vehicles are released.

Why night checks

The authority said night operations are a priority because evening and late-night hours are among the most dangerous periods on Kenyan roads, demanding tighter enforcement against risky driving.

The operation is part of the 'Msimu Bila Ajali, Usalama Barabarani' campaign, under which NTSA and police carry out day and night checks on major transport corridors. Motorists must carry valid inspection stickers and insurance, while drivers need valid licences and, for public service vehicles, PSV badges.

Officers are also checking that speed limiters are working and continuously sending data to the Intelligent Road Safety Management System (IRSMS). "We are also checking whether vehicles comply with speed limits and whether installed speed limiters are functioning correctly," the authority said, as reported by Kenyans.co.ke. Owners have been told to link their vehicles to licensed speed-limiter vendors through the IRSMS portal.

Long-distance public transport operators are expected to carry passenger manifests and driver logs that track driving hours, and to keep within approved passenger and load limits. Drivers must submit to breathalyser tests, and passengers have been urged to wear seatbelts throughout their journeys.

Beware of fake messages

NTSA also warned motorists that official speed violation notices are sent only by SMS under the sender ID 'NTSA', and urged the public to ignore and report suspicious messages from numbers claiming to represent the authority.

The crackdown comes amid a deadly run on the roads. The authority's data shows 3,995 people were killed in crashes between January 1 and October 4 this year, and at least 22 people died in a bus-lorry collision on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway on Sunday. On Thursday morning, a speeding car killed at least two people at Kenol Stage on Ngong Road.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke/NTSA; Capital FM. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.