Motorists could be spared from tighter speed restrictions on major highways after Members of Parliament raised concerns over a proposal by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to impose speed limits.
The lawmakers warned that stricter restrictions could slow down traffic and worsen congestion on some of the country’s busiest roads, potentially causing unnecessary delays for motorists.
The concerns were raised on Tuesday, August 11, when NTSA officials appeared before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure to discuss the authority’s operations and road safety measures.
During the meeting, MPs questioned the proposed introduction of additional speed restrictions on highways, arguing that the measures could have unintended consequences by slowing traffic on roads already affected by congestion.
Instead, the committee urged NTSA to focus on improving road safety while ensuring that measures introduced do not unnecessarily interfere with the movement of motorists.
The committee stated that it had discouraged NTSA from imposing speed limits on highways, citing concerns that the move could worsen traffic congestion.
NTSA already enforces speed limits on several major Kenyan roads through an automated traffic enforcement system. The system uses surveillance cameras to monitor motorists and issue digital speeding fines through SMS.
Despite the enforcement measures, motorists have frequently been accused of disregarding speed limits, with some claiming that the surveillance cameras are difficult to identify along highways.
Some major roads, including Thika Road and Mombasa Road, have speed limits of 50 kilometres per hour in urban areas, while bypasses generally allow speeds of up to 80 km/h. Open highway stretches can have limits of up to 110 km/h, depending on the road section.
The automated enforcement system operates through a network of more than 1,000 traffic cameras, comprising fixed and mobile units positioned along highways, urban roads and areas considered to have a high risk of accidents.
Under the enforcement system, motorists issued with speeding fines are required to settle the penalties within seven days by making payment through designated banks. Overspeeding penalties can rise to Ksh10,000 depending on the offence.
The MPs’ concerns now put a spotlight on how NTSA can balance road safety enforcement with the need to maintain smooth traffic flow on Kenya’s major highways.