This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On August 12, 2019, the Nation published an article highlighting the importance of infrastructure development in Kenya's socio-economic progress.
The development of roads and railways has eased the transportation of goods and people, fuelling national growth. However, the Thika Superhighway and numerous bypasses built in major towns have not fully realized their potential due to shortcomings in traffic management.
Motorists often find themselves stuck in traffic jams, wasting fuel and man hours. These jams cost billions of shillings weekly, and the recent gridlock on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway is a shameful example of wastefulness.
The Kenya National Highways Authority, the National Transport and Safety Authority, and the Traffic Police Department are all guilty of failing to execute their mandate to keep the nation moving.
It is time to invest in new technology and boost the capacity to efficiently monitor and control traffic flow to ease the movement of people and goods across the country.
Deploying traffic police officers and exploring the use of technology, such as drones, to unblock gridlocks are essential steps towards employing smart systems in traffic management.
