A fresh enforcement operation by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) at the Allsops footbridge on Nairobi’s Thika Road has seen more than 50 pedestrians arrested for crossing the busy highway outside designated pedestrian facilities, as the agency continues efforts to improve compliance with road safety rules.
The latest arrests have pushed the total number of people apprehended since the campaign began to more than 300, marking a new phase in the authority’s drive to discourage dangerous crossing habits blamed for the high number of pedestrian deaths on the country’s roads.
In an update shared on its X platform on Wednesday, NTSA reminded members of the public that footbridges and marked pedestrian crossings are the only safe places to cross major roads. The authority said ignoring the designated facilities exposes pedestrians to serious danger, increases risks for motorists and interferes with the smooth movement of traffic.
The ongoing operation follows a month-long public education campaign that sought to encourage safer road use before enforcement measures were introduced. Since then, officers have carried out similar crackdowns at a number of busy pedestrian crossing points, including Nyayo Stadium, Mutindwa and earlier operations at Allsops.
NTSA said the exercise is still underway and appealed to pedestrians to make proper use of footbridges and other approved crossing points whenever they are using highways.
Director of Road Safety Andrew Kiplagat said the decision to move to enforcement was informed by worrying road crash data showing pedestrians continue to account for the highest number of people killed in traffic accidents.
According to NTSA figures, 1,148 pedestrians have lost their lives in road crashes since January this year, reflecting the growing concern over pedestrian safety across the country.
Kiplagat said authorities had spent several weeks creating awareness before beginning arrests, giving road users enough time to understand the importance of using designated crossing points.
He noted that authorities are now arresting and prosecuting those who ignore the law, adding that more than 300 pedestrians have already been arrested and expressing confidence that the number of arrests will decline as compliance improves.
Most offenders taken before court have been fined Sh500, although the law allows penalties ranging from Sh500 to Sh5,000 depending on the charges presented.
NTSA has listed several roads where pedestrians frequently ignore safe crossing facilities. They include sections of Thika Road around Allsops, Ngara and Pangani, as well as Mombasa Road, Outer Ring Road, Lang’ata Road, Waiyaki Way and Mbagathi Way.
The authority said the enforcement exercise will continue alongside public education campaigns as part of wider efforts to reduce pedestrian fatalities.
Kiplagat urged Kenyans to consistently use footbridges and designated crossing points, saying they remain one of the most effective ways of preventing needless road deaths.
NTSA also maintained that enforcement operations will continue in Nairobi and other identified areas, urging pedestrians not to take shortcuts by crossing highways at undesignated locations even where it may appear easier.