[kictanet] Kenya' Road Safety Status

Thu May 17 23:30:55 EAT 2012

Well put bwana Aligula, you are bringing out the linkage between roads and ICTs by talking about data, I think this was the initial bone of contention, in your wisdom how do we capture this data and at what level can we intergrate intellÍgent transportations systems?
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-----Original Message-----
From: "Eric Aligula" <jairah at kippra.or.ke>
Sender: "kictanet"
 <kictanet-bounces+otieno.barrack=gmail.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke>Date: Thu, 17 May 2012 23:16:08 
To: <otieno.barrack at gmail.com>
Cc: Nashon Adero<nadero at kippra.or.ke>; James Gachanja<jgachanja at kippra.or.ke>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Kenya' Road Safety Status

Edith

In countries where road safety has seen dramatic improvements, interventions have always been data driven. And they take place at the three levels of design, construction and operations.  There is a whole class of engineers/auditors who conduct road safety audits during these three phases.  Most of the issues being raised about Thika Road and I dare say all the new roads being built, would have been identified by road safety auditors during design and also during construction. 

This raises a burning policy question for me of just how "safe" our new roads are? Would they pass muster if road safety audits were conducted? It's an open question.

Road design protocols should ensure that no road is procured until it is certified by a qualified road safety auditor as a safe road design.  This process should not delay the procurement process at all and neither should it significantly raise the cost of acquisition.

My two cents is that the Ministry of Roads and KENHA are exposing themselves to legal action, a class action suit, whose outcome is anyones guess. But to make your case, you need data that is reliable and actually attests to what the actual causes of road crashes are. Not the proximate causes. The lawyers on the list may have something to say about this.

So Edith, absent good data, no viable and sustainable road safety interventions will come through. One of the things we hope to show is that the episodes when we have seen declines in road crashes has been after major outcries such as is happening now. I hope to be disappointed, but when things calm down, this outcry will die down too. And then will wait for the next spate of crashes to raise our cudgels again.

We need to invest in robust institutions, that are data driven in their interventions. It's the lesson of global best practice.

Kind regards

Eric Aligula

Sent from my iPad

On 17 May 2012, at 22:10, "Edith Adera" <eadera at idrc.or.ke> wrote:

> Well said Bwana Ndemo. The design challenges you have illustrated are just a fraction of the design challenges of Thika Road. Slip roads (properly designed not 90 degrees) are also needed that take you efficently back to the opposite direction should you miss your turning for e.g. rather than drive miles and miles before you get a way back. I absolutely agree that foot bridges hardly work especially when wide spread...it reminds me of the "great wall of china" on the Naivasha road where people jump over the wall or make acrobatic moves and balances on the wall while awaiting cars moving at neck breaking speed...you have deadly accidents on that road when an slight error is made in their acrobatic moves.
> 
> Eric, I'm trying to wrap my head around the link between accurate road safety data and road designs especially after roads are completed and the deal sealed like Thika Road. Please explain as much as I appreciate research and data.
> 
> I'm still recovering from Eng Kidenda saying (through a proxy) how he's too busy to engage with stakeholders on some of these crucial issues including suggestions provided by listers on some of the smart transport solutions which are relevant to this list.
> 
> Edith
> ________________________________________
> From: kictanet [kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.or.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of bitange at jambo.co.ke [bitange at jambo.co.ke]
> Sent: 17 May 2012 18:45
> To: Edith Adera
> Cc: Nashon Adero; James Gachanja; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Kenya' Road Safety Status
> 
> Dakitari,
> When the construction of Thika road started, I twitted that the design of the road may not be compatible with our culture.  I specifically made severance to South Korea where every other two kilometrers they raise the road to enable people and animals to have access to both sides of the road.  I was told it was too early to complain.
> 
> The design of the fly-overs too will not reduce the possibility of jams.  The Museum Hill fly-over will be more problematic than the round-about was.  The roads converge in a way that does not allow smooth flow of traffic.
> 
> Back to Thika road.  There is no need for any study since we all know that foot bridges never work for us.  An under-pass would have done it.  University of Nairobi students an underpass for years since the three lane highway was introduced on Uhuru Highway.  We have so much knowledge but it seems it never helps.
> 
> The solution on Thika Road is to demolish any building a long the road that is within one half of a kilometre.  This will stall people from jumping across to visit.  Such highways are either sunken to allow easier over-passes or are raised at different intervals.
> 
> Regards.
> 
> 
> 
> Ndemo.
> 
> 
> Sent from my BlackBerry®
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Eric Aligula" <jairah at kippra.or.ke>
> Sender: "kictanet" <kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke>Date: Thu, 17 May 2012 18:00:40
> To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
> Cc: Nashon Adero<nadero at kippra.or.ke>; James Gachanja<jgachanja at kippra.or.ke>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Subject: [kictanet] Kenya' Road Safety Status
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