Rogue drivers plying Lamu-Garsen road warned

Motorists disregarding travel directives on the Lamu-Garsen road risk being prosecuted, the government has warned.

The directives include an active night travel ban.

Among other directives on the terror-prone road, all public transport vehicles-PSVs are to travel in one convoy escorted by several vans of armed police.

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The decision was made after a county security meeting on Monday which sought to deliberate the safety of commuters on the road following a suspected Al Shabaab terror attack on a Border Patrol Unit (BPU) vehicle at Nyongoro area on Sunday.

Speaking on Tuesday, Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia revealed that the security team was aware that some PSVs had been sneaking around and travelling along the Lamu-Garsen road at night without security.

Other vehicles, mostly shuttles have been travelling very early in the mornings without security.

Nissan Shuttles have been giving buses a run for their money by transporting travellers by as early as 5.30 am to skip police checks.

The county commissioner termed such moves as careless and dangerous.

The ban on night travel on the road and the directive to travel in a convoy was introduced in July 2014 following a spate of terror attacks on the road that left tens of travellers and security officers dead.

“It’s imperative that we all stick to the rules and avoid being sneaky and reckless. Public vehicles must stick with the convoys. No travelling at night. We are commencing arrests, don’t say we didn’t tell you,” said Macharia.

He revealed that police were pursuing a list of notorious drivers who have been openly flouting the laid rules and endangering lives.

“We shall arrest and charge you for deliberately endangering lives plus we shall also withdraw the vehicle license and ban you from the road immediately,” he said.