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{
    "id": 320460,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/320460/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 426,
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    "content": "respect our traffic rules and things must be done differently. However, we do not want to imprison everyone. The Minister in charge of Home Affairs will tell you that they do not have that kind of space. In any case, we do not want to throw everyone there. So, on every first conviction, there should be a serious fine, but on subsequent convictions I propose to the Minister that there should be imprisonment and a possibility of fine or both of them going together. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a new clause that I was proposing that the Minister formulates. We do not want a situation where all these traffic problems will have to go to court. We have to come up with a clause that allows for fines to be imposed on the spot. Like the Attorney-General suggested, we do not have to remove people from matatus. These are people going to school and work. We must, therefore, formulate a clause that allows the policeman to write to you the fine on the spot. To guard against arbitrariness, we must create a situation--- The Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development says that they want to put cameras along the roads. If there is photographic evidence that you jumped the lights, there should be no issue. It will be taken to your address. I can see a nice and innovative approach that when you now purchase a new car, your postal address, the e-mail address, the telephone number of the new owner are all there, including the residence. We should not be stopping vehicles. Once there is photographic evidence then this fine can be sent directly to the home of this person. If he does not pay, then the matter becomes as serious as it is in the western world where someone’s licence goes and so on. I am very happy with most of the innovations here, but we have to go directly and give power to the Traffic Department to deal with these matters in a summary manner so that not every person goes to the traffic court when ab initio there is photographic evidence as we surely expect the metropolis to have. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, about ophthalmic tests, Clause 42 of the proposed amendments states that the person driving a Public Service Vehicle (PSV), when he wants to renew the licence, must also get a report produced to the licensing officer coming from a qualified ophthalmologist certifying the condition of the applicant’s eyesight and indicating whether the applicant is fit to drive a motor vehicle. I think this is not a very fair requirement. I think it is going overboard. I am going to propose that we do away with it. We have already said that they will be renewing their licences biannually. When they go to renew the licence, obviously, the person who is going to test them will do so in all ways. It is unfair to create a job here for ophthalmologists in Nairobi and other places just for them to be earning fees or something. I think it is not right. If we are going to go this way, then let us do it all the way; let us take them for mental tests, let us test them for epilepsy, let us determine their fitness, let us check their blood pressure and so on. We cannot just pick ophthalmologists. Why them? It seems there is somebody who was a stakeholder in the Committee that was looking into this matter who thought: Why not create a job for ourselves in this matter? I think it is wrong and unfair and also discriminatory in terms of health. So, this whole new section does not make sense to me and I will propose to the Minister to remove it altogether because the person who will be checking this person will be doing all these things at the same time. Maybe we can create any other powers for him to reject a person if he believes that the person is not fit to drive for any reason."
}