Date Posted: 4/19/2012 1:05:46 PM
Posted By: Bony maurice Membership Level: Silver Total Points: 214
Last year, i traveled to one remote part of this land of Kenya and what i experienced quite astounded. I wont publicly say the identity of the place, but i quite pity those residents. It just reminded me the kind of decay that has occurred on our roads' safety rules. That place was quite remote that we had a problem in getting a PSV. With a murram road and less vehicles on the road, moving from one centre to another was hectic. When a 14-seater came, it was already full, more than the normal capacity. However, to my amazement, the driver still parked and readily ushered in the four of us who were waiting. The tout ordered two young men, i inclusive, to make ourself comfortable in the boot. We were strange in the place and therefore objected to this. To my utter shock, this looked funny to those who were already in the vehicle. So apparently, this was very normal to them. That you can fill a 14-seater with twenty people and still add two more in the boot to increase the fare paid. I wonder why this can just be normal to some people in this country. Yes, they can lack another way to opt for for transport, but what about the life. Don't they realize the risks behind that. You can get the scenario of how old women were dangerously clinging on the door of the vehicle oblivious of what might happen. An age mate of my grandmother, with her weak hands and body, and in an over-speeding vehicle just supporting herself on a metal alone? Now, such a woman may topple of, get asthmatic or she is just at a risk of an accident of the vehicle. Those inside were also packed like sacks to the extent some were sitting on top of others. Twenty people in a space that should accommodate fourteen means the fourteen have been deprived about 43% of their normal space. Lets consider this case with some bit of sense. In that vehicle one is at risk of infection of contagious and airborne diseases. Skin diseases will also be transmitted due to that much brushing over each other. Secondly, suffocation is most likely to occur. Due to concentration of the air inside and too much inhalers of the available oxygen, it become limited. Suffocation may be so much to cause death. It is in such a case that you see some passengers vomiting due to the tense air inside. It is actually very unhealthy to be in such an environment. With the many kinds of smells and perfumes from the bodies of most of those in the vehicle, the resultant is a very complex odor, unwelcoming to the nose. Another risk one is prone to is pick-pocketing. Remember whoever you are travelling with are not your brothers or brethren. Some join in with varied agenda, including stealing. With scrambling and squeezing over one another, they get good opportunities to dig their hands into people's pockets, wallets for phones, money and other stuff. Finally, the last and most tragic risk as per my discussion, is an ACCIDENT. This has a very high chance like in that vehicle i was to travel with. With overloading, the stability of the vehicle is reduced , and what will be next is toppling. An accident is associated with one dreadful thing, death. Life is actually more precious and allowing death to take it away is stupidity. Why have we been so careless to that extent? Our ignorance has taken us too far. How many times have we failed to obey simple rules in vehicles-overloading, failing to tie seat belts etc. It is a pity that Kenyans think obedience to road rules is to the benefit of traffic officers or to the government. It is high time for those who are enlightened to educate those in remote places, and those who are still ignorant of the safety rules, and change for their lives.
Next: Reasons why our Kenyan television stations are flooded with soap operas.Previous: Stages in linear career
Get premium membership