The Transport Industry Celebrates Excellence in the Sector

Nairobi,

Wednesday, October 11,

KNA by Stephanie Ndunge/Venah Onyango

The second edition of the Afrika Mashariki Transport Awards (AMTA) conference and expo commenced Wednesday and runs up to Friday under the theme ‘Driving Towards a Sustainable and Secure Future: Green Energy and Safety in Transport.

The theme captures the trending issues in Kenya’s transport sector.

The aim of AMTA is to drive the reduction in road accidents by 2030 by helping the government to reduce them by 50 percent.

Recognized best individuals from Matatus Sacco, Boda Boda, and private entities will be awarded hence motivating others to change how they behave on the road and this will reduce road deaths and fatalities.

“Sustainability is a major issue the sector seeks to address in the wake of climate change challenges. The country has embraced electric vehicles as it aims to cut harmful emissions from the transport sector's continued use of petroleum,” said AMTA founder Edgar Meshack Obota.

He further added that safety is yet another issue the country has been grappling with as it aspires to reduce accidents and the lives needlessly lost on the roads every year.

Speaking during the event, Obota applauded AMTA as it celebrates excellence in the transport sector.

He revealed that individuals, firms, and agencies that have registered outstanding achievements over the last year will receive awards as the country showcases positive development in the transport sector.

The CEO emphasized that sustainable systems in the transport industry are the future of transport as well as safety in the transport industry.

“Motorcycles are some of the most accident-vulnerable riders on our roads. In many cases, they are driven to break the law for their own safety. Let’s create an environment where every road user is safe,” said Helmet Coalition's Sam Clerk.

Clerk also said that Boda boda now accounts for up to 35 percent of fatalities in Kenya. 80 percent of those deaths are linked to head injuries and yet only 30 to 40 percent of riders nationally wear helmets some of the time many wear helmets all the time.

He stressed the need to give riders the information they ought to have for them to make sensible choices, equipping them with the knowledge to differentiate between good and bad helmets.

“We are trying to increase the number of retailers selling these helmets, especially within Saccos,” said Clerk.

Courtesy; KNA