[kictanet] DEADLY THIKA ROAD - WHO IS LISTENING?

[Harry Delano]

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Time+to+stop+avoidable+deaths+on+killer+highway
+/-/1056/1396002/-/u9vfe/-/index.html

 

This is heartwrenching.!  Certainly in as much as this is not ICT-related as
Edith pointed out, we can do something.

 

We have a majority of the media houses represented on this list. Could we
take cue, and turn this into a major countrywide

publicity campaign, to educate/inform/sensitize.? What tools can ICT bring
to bear, not only here but across the nation to 

help reduce this mayhem..?  Skunks..?

 

Regards,

Harry

 

From: kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke
[mailto:kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
Behalf Of Edith Adera
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 11:35 AM
To: harry at comtelsys.co.ke
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: [kictanet] DEADLY THIKA ROAD - WHO IS LISTENING?

 

Listers,

 

One may ask, why talk about roads on an ICT list? As a vision 2030 project
like Konza City, I thought it's important to bring to our attention the
dangers of cutting corners.I hope this will NOT happen with Konza city.

 

I would like to address this note to Mugo Kibati as Director of V2030.

 

On Friday, amidst the pounding rain, I ventured out on Thika road (for the
first time, since the super highway was done)..I've been avoiding the road
like a plague given the grisly stories I hear about thika road. But this
time, it was out of necessity.

 

I've seen the dazzling roads of south Africa, Dubai, the US, Japan.you name
it..so in my mind I thought a "slip road" would be the standard slip road it
ought to be; sign boards would be clear so I know where to go and when to
turn off; and that I should NOT expect (NEVER) to find a speed bump smack
right in the middle of the highway when I've hit 100+km per hour and
enjoying the cruise.  

 

We appreciate the development (one should not question that), but can we do
things with excellence?

 

First, I was on a lane around Parklands heading towards Thika, when suddenly
I noticed on-coming cars flashing, warning me that while I was right to use
that lane as a short diversion, I had missed an opening that should have
taken me back to the right lane! I promptly took the next left turning to
get back to the right lane, luckily I was driving at snail speed. The next
encounter was when I suddenly came across a notice board indicating that the
road was closed, but it was not clear which one - the one ahead or the one
to my right.my sixth sense suggested a take the road on the right, when I
did, it happened to be the right one, but yet again, there were cars coming
from the right side of that road from behind me and a had a near miss with a
speeding country bus.and you know how they zoom!  (I understand later
another car did not know which route to take at this same spot and crashed
the barriers at high speed and the driver was removed from his car
unconscious! possibly dead!). My next headache was to find out which slip
road to take off Thika road to my destination - I have never seen 90o slip
roads..the standard from my lay knowledge is that they are around 350 - 45o
- Thika road has 90o slip roads!!! - how do you do that from a highway!
Finally, on my way back, I had to make some maneuvers below a bridge to get
back onto the road coming back to Nairobi (with huge concrete walls on the
side so you can't see other cars coming from all directions) - I've never
seen interchanges under a bridge with blind spots and cars coming in all
directions!

 

Thika road is a death trap and needs to be sorted out as soon as possible.  

 

Summary

 

1.       The slips roads need to be made proper slip roads with clear signs

2.       The bumps on the highways should be removed and foot bridges
constructed for pedestrians 

3.       The interchanges, need to be rectified and ensure people moving in
different directions do so without meeting cars coming in the opposite
directions (at a blind spot with concrete walls - the Museum area is a
classic example) - do 2-3 layers of road  even consider underground
passages, but for heavens sake don't let ongoing cars meet under a bridge
with blind spots. 

4.       Have proper legible sign boards erected urgently.

 

While the road is under construction and one can dismiss issues raised about
Thika road indicating that diversions are just temporary, the main point of
my intervention is with the design and its usability in a safe manner. The
fact is that Thika road is not safe as it's currently designed - it does not
give the impression that it was done by those who have done the roads we see
in other countries that work.

 

Mugo, I look forward to hearing from you and trust that you will have
discussions with your counterparts at the Ministry of Roads so Kenyans know
that something will be done about Thika Road. It is sad that while many
Kenyans have complained about this road among themselves, we do not have
forums to bring this to the attention of the decision-makers. This is my
attempt and I believe we will hear from you.

 

Lets design and implement Konza differently..we must never compromise on
standards. 

 

Edith (personal opinion)

 

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